Stop Writing Boring Scenes -- Use this Secret 9-Step Formula

Summary

This video script outlines nine key ingredients for crafting compelling scenes in a book. It emphasizes starting scenes late and ending them early to maintain reader interest. The script also advises using a plot engine in each scene, ensuring scenes multitask by advancing plot, character, and theme, and playing with time to build suspense. It stresses the importance of conflict, character change, essential plot progression, prioritizing actions and dialogue, and asking three critical questions about each scene's necessity and impact.

Takeaways

• 😀 Start scenes late and end them early to keep readers engaged.
• 🚀 Use a plot engine in every scene to propel the narrative forward.
• 🛠 Make scenes multitask by advancing plot, developing characters, and exploring themes.
• 🎬 Play with time within scenes to vary pacing and focus on critical moments.
• ⚔️ Conflict is essential in every scene, even if it's subtle or internal.
• 🌱 Show character change or growth within individual scenes, not just over the entire novel.
• 🔗 Ensure scenes are essential to plot progression and contribute to the overall story.
• 🗣️ Prioritize action and dialogue over thoughts and backstory to keep the story dynamic.
• 📖 Ask three essential questions for every scene: Can it be cut? Does it change something? Does it move the story forward?
• 🔍 Analyze scenes from favorite books or movies to understand their multifaceted contributions to the narrative.

Q & A

What is the first principle of writing a great scene according to the script?

The first principle is to start late and end early. This means starting the scene as close to the action as possible without unnecessary preamble, and ending it right at the climax to create a cliffhanger effect.

Why is it important to start a scene late?

Starting a scene late is important because it eliminates unnecessary lead-up information and background details, diving straight into the action to engage the reader immediately.

How does ending a scene early contribute to the story's pacing?

Ending a scene early contributes to the story's pacing by creating a sense of urgency and suspense. It leaves the reader wanting more and encourages them to continue reading to the next scene.

What is a plot engine and why is it necessary for every scene?

A plot engine is a driving force that propels the reader through the narrative, such as love, mystery, or conflict. It's necessary for every scene to keep the reader engaged and moving forward in the story.

Can you provide an example of a plot engine from the script?

Yes, an example from the script is the hidden identity of John Brown in 'The Good Lord Bird' by James McBride, which creates conflict and interest in an otherwise mundane scene.

Why should scenes multitask in a story?

Scenes should multitask to further the plot, develop characters, and advance themes. This ensures that each scene is contributing to the overall narrative and not just serving a single purpose.

How can playing with time enhance a scene?

Playing with time can enhance a scene by speeding up less interesting parts and slowing down the critical moments. This allows the writer to control the pace and keep the reader engaged.

Why is conflict important in storytelling and scenes?

Conflict is important because it drives the story forward and creates tension. Even subtle conflicts can add depth and interest to a scene, making it more engaging for the reader.

How can a character change within a single scene?

A character can change within a single scene through making decisions, learning something new, or experiencing an event that affects their perspective or behavior.

Why is it essential for a scene to contribute to the overall plot progression?

A scene must contribute to the overall plot progression to maintain narrative coherence and keep the reader engaged. Scenes that don't advance the story may be interesting but can disrupt the flow and cause readers to lose interest.

What should be prioritized in a scene: actions, dialogue, thoughts, or backstory?

Actions and dialogue should be prioritized over thoughts and backstory to keep the scene dynamic and focused on the present moment. However, thoughts and backstory can be used effectively when balanced properly.

What are the three essential questions to ask about every scene?

The three essential questions are: 1) What would happen if I cut this scene? 2) What is changed by the end of my scene? 3) How does this scene move the story forward?

Outlines

00:00

📚 Crafting Dynamic Scenes

The paragraph emphasizes the importance of scenes in storytelling, suggesting they are the building blocks of a great book. It introduces nine key ingredients for crafting the perfect scene that resonates with readers. The first principle is to start late and end early, meaning writers should avoid unnecessary lead-up and background information, diving straight into the action. Ending early implies concluding the scene at its climax to maintain suspense. The paragraph also stresses the need for a plot engine in every scene to propel the reader through the narrative, using examples from the book 'The Good Lord Bird' by James McBride to illustrate different types of plot engines such as hidden identity, threat of violence, and character lies.

05:02

🔄 Multitasking and Time Manipulation in Scenes

This section advises writers to ensure scenes are not just single-purpose but multitask by advancing the plot, developing characters, and reinforcing themes. It suggests an exercise to analyze favorite movie or book scenes to understand their multifaceted contributions to the story. The paragraph also encourages playing with the pace of scenes, varying the speed to maintain reader interest and avoid monotony. It recommends summarizing less exciting parts and focusing on critical moments to keep the narrative engaging.

10:04

⏱️ Time Manipulation and Conflict

The paragraph discusses the exercise of summarizing parts of a scene to manage time effectively, allowing the reader to skip less interesting segments. It underscores the necessity of conflict in storytelling, arguing that even subtle conflicts can drive narrative tension. The text advises against scenes where characters are overly agreeable, as this can lead to a lack of conflict. It also suggests that information exchange should be infused with conflict to keep the scene engaging. The paragraph briefly entertains the idea that some scenes might lack conflict but emphasizes that these are exceptions and that most scenes benefit from some form of disagreement or tension.

🌟 Character Development and Scene Essentials

This section focuses on character development within individual scenes, not just over the course of the entire novel. It encourages writers to consider how characters evolve in subtle ways through a single scene, creating tension and conflict. The paragraph also stresses the importance of scenes being essential to plot progression, sharing a personal anecdote about a scene that, despite being well-written, had to be removed because it did not contribute to the overall plot. It advises writers to view scenes as interconnected components of a narrative chain, each pushing the story forward.

🗣️ Prioritizing Action and Dialogue

The paragraph advises prioritizing action and dialogue over thoughts and backstory to keep scenes engaging. It suggests analyzing the ratio of these elements in a scene and adjusting if necessary to ensure a balance that favors the present moment. The paragraph concludes with three essential questions for every scene: whether the scene is necessary, what changes by the end of the scene, and how the scene advances the story and character development. These questions help determine if a scene earns its place in the book.

Keywords

💡Start Late, End Early

This refers to the technique of beginning a scene as close to its climax as possible and ending it right at the peak of the action. It's a way to engage readers immediately and keep them on the edge of their seats. The video emphasizes this as the most important technique for creating compelling scenes. For instance, it suggests starting a scene just before the action begins and ending it abruptly at the climax to create a sense of urgency and suspense.

💡Plot Engine

A 'plot engine' is a driving force that propels the narrative forward within a scene, similar to how a central plot drives the entire story. The video mentions that every scene should have its own plot engine to keep the reader engaged. Examples given include 'hidden identity', 'threat of violence', and 'character lying', all of which serve to create tension and move the scene's narrative forward.

💡Multitasking Scenes

This concept suggests that a scene should not only advance the plot but also develop characters and themes. The video advises writers to ensure that each scene is doing multiple things to contribute to the overall story. For example, a scene might reveal character traits, advance the plot, and hint at the theme, all at once.

💡Time Manipulation

The video discusses the idea of varying the pace of a scene to keep it interesting. It suggests speeding up less exciting parts and slowing down during critical moments. This manipulation of time allows writers to focus on the most engaging parts of a scene without getting bogged down in unnecessary details.

💡Conflict

Conflict is described as the core of storytelling, and the video stresses that every scene should contain some form of conflict, whether it's subtle or overt. Conflict can be internal, between characters, or within a character's thoughts. The video uses the example of a couple discussing household chores to illustrate how even a seemingly mundane conversation can contain conflict.

💡Character Change

This term refers to the transformation a character undergoes within a single scene, as opposed to over the course of a novel. The video encourages writers to consider how characters evolve during a scene, even if it's a small change. It gives the example of a character making a decision that reflects their growth or maturity.

💡Essential to Plot Progression

The video discusses the importance of ensuring that each scene contributes to the overall plot progression. A scene should not only be entertaining but also necessary for the story's development. The video shares a personal anecdote where a scene, despite being well-written, was cut because it did not advance the plot.

💡Action and Dialogue

The video advises prioritizing action and dialogue over thoughts and backstory to keep scenes dynamic and engaging. It suggests analyzing the ratio of these elements in a scene and adjusting if necessary to ensure that the scene is focused on the present moment.

💡Three Essential Questions

These questions are a tool for evaluating the necessity and effectiveness of a scene. The video instructs writers to ask themselves if the scene is essential, if it brings about change, and if it moves the story forward. These questions help ensure that every scene serves a clear purpose in the narrative.

💡Cliffhanger

A cliffhanger is a literary device used to create suspense by ending a scene at its most exciting point without resolution. The video suggests ending scenes early to create a cliffhanger effect, compelling readers to continue to the next scene to find out what happens next.

💡Pacing

Pacing refers to the speed at which the narrative of a scene unfolds. The video advises varying the pacing within a scene to maintain reader interest. It contrasts the fixed pacing of a movie with the flexibility writers have to speed up or slow down the narrative in prose.

Highlights

Start late, End early: Scenes should begin as late as possible to avoid unnecessary lead-up information and end at the climax to maintain suspense.

Use an engine: Every scene should have a driving force, or 'engine', to propel the reader through the narrative.

Examples of plot engines include hidden identity, threat of violence, and characters lying.

Make your scenes multitask: Scenes should not only advance the plot but also develop characters and themes.

Play with time: Scenes can speed up or slow down to create tension and interest.

Supercharge conflict: Conflict is central to storytelling and should be present in every scene.

Make your character change: Characters should undergo subtle changes within a single scene.

Ensure scenes are essential to plot progression: Each scene should contribute to the overall narrative.

Prioritize actions and dialogue: Scenes should focus more on what's happening in the present rather than backstory or thoughts.

Three essential questions for every scene: Is it necessary? Does it change the story? Does it move the story forward?

Cannibalize other scenes: If a scene is not doing enough, consider combining elements from surrounding scenes to create a more powerful single scene.

Analyze scenes from favorite movies or books to understand how they accomplish multiple narrative tasks.

Avoid scenes that are too nice between characters; introduce conflict to keep the story engaging.

If a scene doesn't progress the plot, it may need to be removed, even if it's well-written.

Divide a scene into categories to check the ratio of action, description, dialogue, thoughts, and backstory.

Every scene should have a clear purpose and contribute to the reader's journey to the end of the book.

Readers will be more engaged if they feel the scene is necessary and moves the story forward.

Transcripts

if you can write a great scene you can

write a great book they are honestly the

building blocks of stories so in this

video we're going to talk about the nine

ingredients to make the perfect scene

the scene that readers will be talking

about at the end of the book the ones

that they're going to tell their friend

about when they say you got to read this

book the first principle is start late

End early this is honestly the most

important part of all the techniques I'm

going to give you if you get nothing

else from the rest of this video learn

this technique the vast majority of

writers write Soo scenes because they

start the scene way too early and

there's sort of like this leadup

information and then they dribble on at

the end and they don't close it out when

they should I want you to think about a

scene you haven't written yet and then I

want you to try to start it as late as

you possibly can into that scene nope

not that point think even further like

what's the very closest you can start

that scene to the action this is because

you don't want a preamble to your scene

like oh let me warm up the reader by

like telling them background information

no you want to dive straight into the

action now let's think about the end of

your scene a lot of they'll have the

high point of the scene the climax of

the scene and then they'll like talk a

little bit more and have a little bit of

dialogue and some extra stuff no you

want to get out early you want to end

that scene early which means right when

that climax happens maybe it's a

conflict maybe it's a line of dialogue

Houston we have a problem maybe it's an

act of violence maybe it's a revealed

secret answer me why do people think

that I'm you whatever that high point is

stop right there stop the scene put a

hashtag in the chapter and move on to

the next scene when you don't explain

when you don't show the the aftermath or

the character reaction the reader is on

the edge of their seat it feels like a

cliffhanger and so they're more likely

to want to read the next scene second

step in genius level scene writing is to

use an engine so every book has a plot

engine which propels The Reader through

the narrative sometimes love is an

engine the reader wants to see who's

going to get the girl who's going to get

the guy who's going to fall in love

sometimes it's a mystery or a murder

investigation or sometimes it's

interplanetary you want to see whether

this civilization will be destroyed or

saved most writers know that their

entire novel needs a plot engine but

they don't think about the plot engine

of their scenes guess what every scene

needs a plot engine too let me give you

some examples of plot engines for scenes

from the book the good Lord Bird by

James McBride first a hidden identity

here we have a famous abolitionist John

Brown and he's getting a haircut that's

not a super exciting scene but what

makes the scene interesting is people

keep asking him who are you who are you

and he refuses to tell them that's

because the person asking him is a slave

trader and he specializes in freeing

slaves but that withholding of

information and his hidden identity it

creates this wonderful Conflict for the

scene two a threat of violence in

another scene in the good Lord bird

there are two characters talking with

each other and one pulls out a gun and

trains it on the other one during the

whole conversation that threat of

violence keeps the reader on the edge of

their seat it's not just two characters

chatting with each other the presence of

the gun lets us know at any moment in

this conversation one of the people

could be shot here's a third plot engine

from a scene have a character lie in

another scene we see John Brown still

talking to slave Traders and he's lying

through his teeth I mean he's making up

false names for himself he's saying oh

I'm waiting for the steamboat even

though the steamboat isn't supposed to

arrive for another 2 weeks and that

lying power is the scene because it

makes you wonder when is he going to get

caught when is he going to get exposed

listen overall when you write a scene

you need a nameable strategy for what

makes this scene interesting what is the

engine powering your scene how are you

going to keep readers reading how are

you going to keep readers enjoying the

story three make your scenes multitask

no scene should be accomplishing just a

single thing that's a boring scene your

scenes need to be furthering the plot

and developing that character and

furthering that theme so take a scene

that you've written and start a list and

write down everything that you think

this scene is accomplishing to get us

closer toward the end of the book if

that list isn't very long that's a

really good sign that you need to add a

lot more to that scene to make sure that

it's pulling its weight now the second

exercise which you should do and it's

going to be very valuable so do not skip

it is to pick a scene out of your

favorite movie or book now write down

everything that that scene is

accomplishing in terms of setting mood

in terms of theme in terms of action in

terms of making the reader feel

something in terms of character

development in terms of plot really

spend some time on it and I think you're

going to see that that scene is doing so

much work and if you took that scene out

of that story the entire narrative would

collapse and one thing that you can do

when you find that you have a lazy scene

a scene that's not doing enough work is

that you can cannibalize other scenes

around it right you can take from the

scene after and try to do what it's

doing in this scene and the scene before

it and combine it and suddenly now you

just have one really powerful scene

instead of three scenes each doing one

thing fourth thing you should do with

your scenes is to play with time not

every scene needs to be moving at the

same Pace throughout a good scene often

speeds up during the most boring parts

and then it slows down for the most

critical Parts don't write cruise

control scenes that just move at the

pace of a movie move at clock time all

the way through this is one of the great

advantages you have as a writer rather

than as a Movie Maker right movies

generally move at clock time while in

writing you can speed up you can slow

down you can play with time you can skip

time a lot more easily a good exercise

to try is to try to summarize a certain

portion of a scene say you write half of

a scene clock Time characters are

speaking to one another then you need

some time to pass right so say oh they

finished up dessert and clean the dishes

and then they went to the living room to

talk more you've just summarized 15 20

minutes and now you've gotten to the

more exciting part so the reader doesn't

have to Wade through the boring stuff

five supercharg conflict conflict is at

the heart of all storytelling so if you

don't have conflict in a scene that

should be this giant red flag waving you

danger danger now I don't mean the

conflict has to be enormous sometimes

the conflict is very very small

sometimes it's very subtle for instance

say a couple is exchanging dialogue that

on its surface isn't Barbed or angry but

one of them is seething over household

chores that haven't been done right so

the conflict is in the thoughts but in

the actual dialogue there's not any

conflict and that's perfectly fine if

you find that your characters are being

too nice to one another that is a

problem and you have to find a way to

get conflict in perhaps another

characters making fun of them at the

same time and the most common problem

that I see as an editor when characters

are being nice to each other is when

they're just sharing information right

the author knows oh I need to further

this plot and these character needs to

talk about X Y and Z to get us to the

next scene giving information is kind of

boring though so you have to find a way

to get that information across with

conflict embedded in it maybe one

character doesn't believe the other

maybe one character disagrees with the

other about that information now let's

play devil's advocate for just a second

and let's say you say I don't think that

conflict is necessary for every scene I

mean there are exceptions to the rule

you might be able to find a very rare

scene in a movie or a book that doesn't

have conflict but most of the time if

you sort of peer under the hood and

really analyze what's going on there's

some level of disagreement embedded

between the two characters and if you

have a scene without conflict in your

novel you need to one come with the

reason why that scene is really

necessary for the book and two find a

justification for why that scene won't

bore the reader to death six make your

character change most of the time that

we talk about character Arts it's over

the course of the entire novel right and

you want to see the character change by

the very end I would encourage you to

think about character arcs on a micro

level how does a character subtly change

within a single scene by the time that

the scene is you should be able to

analyze your character at the beginning

of that scene at the end of the scene

and detect some sort of small learning

or changing or growth for instance they

might make a decision that shows them

maturing as a character or backsliding

right that's also change even if a

character is refusing to change that

fits inside the change umbrella because

the reader is wanting them to change and

yet they're refusing to change and so it

creates this wonderful tension and

conflict in the story and this is a

great way to see whether the glue of

your scene is holding together ask

yourself in what way does my character

change or grow or learn in this

particular scene Seven make sure it's

essential to plot progression so if you

look at the structure of a novel it's a

bunch of scenes lined up with each other

until you reach the end and you feel

satisfied for some reason and if a

reader doesn't feel that the scenes are

linking to one another and building

toward an end point they're going to

stop reading I once wrote an incredible

first chapter of a novel that featured

these geeky hilarious energetic American

soccer players hitting on European girls

in a club it was amazing I wanted to

structure the whole book around it there

was only one problem though it didn't

really link up to the next chapter

didn't build the overall plot line and

when I sent to agents that was pretty

much their feedback I'd promis one thing

in the query later but this particular

chapter didn't progress the plot so even

though that was one of my favorite

scenes I've ever written I had to delete

it because it didn't fit into the book

as a whole think of your scenes as a

series of box cars right each linked up

to one another and if the box car

doesn't pull the one before it and push

the one in front of it then you're not

creating a chain that's going to be

strong and linked and the reader is not

going to get through all of it eight

prioritize actions and dialogue over

thoughts and back story you know what a

great exercise is is to pick a scene

that you've written and then divide it

up into categories divide it up into

action description dialogue thoughts and

backstory and then figure out the

approximate ratio of each one is most of

it dialogue is most of it thoughts is

most of it backstory a bad scene often

contains far too high of a ratio of

backstory and thoughts and not enough of

the present moment action of what's

actually happening in the scene now I'm

not saying you don't need thoughts and

backstory both are great devices don't

get me wrong I'm just saying pay

attention to the ratios of what you're

doing in a particular scene if the

ratios are off that should flip a little

you know danger signal in your brain you

should think all right maybe I need to

rejigger this scene a little bit to make

sure things are actually happening right

now ninth and final point is three

essential questions for every scene one

what would happen if I cut this scene

it's always a great question to ask

yourself because if you can cut it and

the book doesn't suffer you don't really

need it in the book every scene should

be absolutely core for helping the

reader reach the end of the book two ask

yourself what is changed by the end of

my scene are we a little bit closer to

finding out the mystery are we a little

bit closer to two characters falling in

love or a little bit further away from

two characters falling in love and three

how does this scene move the story

forward what is it accomplish in terms

of character development in terms of

plot if you can answer all three of

those questions satisfactorily then you

have written a scene that has earned a

right to stay in your book