By Jordan E. Rosenfeld
Fiction writing is hard work. OK, maybe it’s not back-breaking work, but I’ll be the first one to advise anyone choosing a craft to pick something easier, like say: metallurgy.
All kidding aside, in building a world—because no matter whether you’re writing an autobiographical novel or something set on another planet, you’ve got to sell that to readers—it’s easy to get tunnel vision. Working hard to make your setting picture perfect can come at the expense of character dialogue. A focus on creating a believable character might get in the way of strong plot planning. It’s impossible for any writer at one time or another not to let the global picture subsume the many necessary layers that build a novel or story.
That’s why I’ve learned to love and appreciate the scene, and why I wrote a book about scenes and can’t seem to stop talking about them. The scene is more than just a concept created by English teachers; it’s the crucial DNA of your narrative—encapsulated in a scene are all the elements needed to form a compelling story. The key to making scenes work and help you avoid tunnel vision is balance.
Every scene is a cell containing all the information needed to build a story, and must have all of the most important elements of story making:
• Action—a stylized and sexier simulacrum of real time
• New information that moves the plot forward
• Compelling, unique leap-off-the-page characters
• An emotional experience (absolutely linked to character)
• Vivid, plot-relevant setting
• Dramatic tension, suspense or conflict
If you’re missing one of those ingredients, chances are your scene won’t work.
So rather than trying to write character first, then going back to see if you’ve got a functioning plot, or hoping that you built a convincing setting, and so on, you’re better off learning to write integrated scenes. Think of all your craft elements as threads that you weave into beautiful little tapestry panels. Each panel tells one little slice of the story. Up against one another, they build a narrative that can’t be put down.
Jordan will be doing quick critiques on the Editor Unleashed forum next Wednesday, June 17 in the “Tough Love” Critique Forum.
Jordan E. Rosenfeld is author of Make a Scene: Crafting a Powerful Story One Scene at a Time and Write Free: Attracting the Creative Life (with Rebecca Lawton). Jordan is offering a 4-week online class in August: “Learn Fiction’s Magic Ingredient.” Learn to create powerful, page-turning fiction and take your writing to a whole new level. The workshop begins August 3rd, 2009. To register or for more information, email: jordansmuse@gmail.com.
Flickr photo by jsome1
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Jordan, you have nailed all of my issues on the head in that first paragraph.
I bought your book (Make a Scene) probably 2 or 3 weeks ago (I didn’t know you periodically pop up on Maria’s site at the time) and I have been reading it religiously and taking in everything. I have to say its one of my favorite resource books now. I have a tendency to ramble on without pushing the plot forward and that ends up discouraging me once I’ve realized I’ve been doing it.
But your book has helped me try a different approach. I’m on Chapter 7 again (because Character development is another weakness of mine right now).
The truth is, I buy writing resource books the way some little old ladies horde Avon samples in their purses. I buy them mostly out of curiosity, to see the different approaches other writers have, but rarely do I find one that I actually agree with, that I follow, that I can fully understand and grasp.
Just the other day I was telling Alegra, who happens to be one of my best friends and a writer as well, how amazing your book is and how it has made a lot of things more clearer for me. So thank you, for this guest blog, and your book.
Kemari! Thanks for such incredibly kind words and for investing your hard-earned money in my book. I really, really appreciate hearing from readers. You sound like a dedicated writer, even if you think you only purchase writing books like Avon products–I’ll bet more sinks in than you give yourself credit for.
I’ve read Alegra’s posts here and she’s a fantastic writer–probably a great friend too. I’ve always believed we writers must surround ourselves with likeminded souls for support and honest reflection.
Best!
Jordan
Great advice, and something I look for during edits! Like Kemari was saying, sometimes when we draft we ramble on without getting to the point. Some ramble is useful at times, so long as in itself has a point (like to deliberately pace a scene for suspense), but we have to get on with the business of incorporating all the necessaries in the scene.
Folks, don’t miss this one. From personal experience, I can tell you Jordan knows her business. For everyone who wonders why their stories are rejected (or accepted) you will get valuable insight from a professional on what makes good writing. If you don’t care for candor, you might want to learn vicariously through others posts because Jordan will shoot it to you straight. But you’d be missing out on an excellent opportunity.
Look forward to the visit.
–John
John, thanks so much for the ringing endorsement!
Excellent post Jordan! As I pull myself together to embark back into the novel-writing process this is exactly what I needed. I have heard that novel writing is like trying to keep plates spinning on both your hands and head while balancing on one leg, and I think this refers to trying to keep all of the elements you have mentioned (plot, character, etc.) moving forward in equal measure…after reading this, I am going to look at ’scenes’ as the stability point that we are meant to keep our eyes focused on so that we can keep all those plates spinning without losing balance.
I am going to have to invest in your book, I have heard some great things.
:o)
Alegra
Thanks for a great post, Jordan. You’ve covered so many key points. As I’m revising, I plan on looking at each scene under the microscope as individual units. In my scenes, I tend to incorporate great action and new developments but sometimes forget my MC reactions – emotional, physical and active. I’m off to look for your book.
P.S.
My pregnant brain just clicked onto the above compliment in your response to Kemari – thank you deeply.
And you are absolutely correct in your suspicions that Kemari is way more than Avon browsing ;o). Good writerly friends are an invaluable support system – I find the idea of the ’solitary writer’ to largely be a myth, the more I explore how succesful writers work, the more I find that there is an element of ‘writer community’ involved.
Great post, I agree with everything you said. The different points you raised are all essential to maintaining tension and keeping the reader turning pages.
I’ll look for your book.
Jai
I’m like Kemari – I love reading writing resource books and I’m always looking for news ones with what sounds like a good approach – and since I’ve always been a big fan of the concept of building through scenes, I’ll have to check out yours, Jordan. Thanks for posting.
Also – “a stylized and sexier simulacrum of real time” has stuck in my head since I first read this post and helped me with a pacing issue I’ve been having, so thanks for that. (I often fall into the trap of forgetting that it needs to be stylized.)
Alegra, the plate metaphor is apt! Though I really have found that by thinking in scenes (and then writing in them) you remove some of the plates, or rather, it’s a bit like hiring someone to spin them for you as you analyze how well they’re doing :)
And you’re forgiven for your pregnant brain, though I didn’t see anything to forgive. I’ve got a 1 year old…do I still get an excuse? :)
Lisa, Jean, Jai and Cat–I appreciate your appreciation, and am glad there are so many writers out there taking careful note of the craft.
Thanks to those of you who spent or will spend your hard earned dollars on my book. I can’t tell you how thrilled I am, and how much I hope you get something out of it!
Jordan
Jordan,
Motherhood IS a constant state of pregnancy brain, just different stages of it cycling over and over again ;o)
Alegra
Alegra, that’s what I figured :) Do you keep a blog anywhere, by the way?
Jordan
I do keep blog, right now it is only once a week because everything else but I am looking forward to eventually becoming more organized with it:
http://alegra22wordpress.com
oops…I am typing in the dark with my two munchkins bundled up around me:
http://alegra22.wordpress.com