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Guidelines for writing Poems, Stories and Tales
Writing FAQ

How to expand on scenes?

Asked by: Mary Robinson

Things that a scene can do:

  1. Add a conflict.
  2. Advance a conflict.
  3. Resolve a conflict.
  4. Explore a character’s motivations.
  5. Explore a character’s personality.
  6. Explore the interaction between characters.
  7. Inform about the setting.
  8. Explore how a character views the setting.

How do you extend a scene in writing?

5 Ideas to Lengthen Word Count in Too-Short Novels

  1. Brainstorm Additional Plot Beats. List all your current plot threads, and then explore ways to expand upon them. …
  2. Deepen Connections Between Characters. …
  3. Add Characters. …
  4. Emphasize Important Character Traits. …
  5. Dramatize Summaries. …
  6. Wordplayers, tell me your opinions!

How do I make my book scene longer?

If you try to make a scene longer or shorter than its natural length, you distort the story. What do you do if you need more words than you’ve got? The simple answer is to add another story thread. Your main story focuses on your lead character (or lead pair if you’re writing a romance).

How do you make a scene less flat?

5 Easy Tips to Strengthen Your Scenes

  1. RELIVE YOUR SCENES. Not rewrite. …
  2. HEAT UP THE CORE. Ask yourself what the core of your scene is. …
  3. ADJUST YOUR PACE. If you need to speed up a scene, dialogue is one way to do it. …
  4. STRETCH THE TENSION. Don’t waste any good tension beats. …
  5. CUT OR STRENGTHEN WEAK SCENES.

How do you make a compelling scene?

Here are some steps to help you write effective scenes:

  1. Be clear about the purpose of the scene. …
  2. Establish a scene-specific setting. …
  3. Consider starting in the middle of the action. …
  4. Include conflict. …
  5. Write from a specific POV. …
  6. Identify the high point. …
  7. Shake things up. …
  8. Write scene transitions.

How do you expand a story?

Here are a few ways you can use expansion to enhance your short story:

  1. Expand with a purpose. Your expansion should add something meaningful to the story. …
  2. Stay on track. An expansion can be brief, or it can turn you from a short story writer into a novelist. …
  3. Transition smoothly. …
  4. Know when to quit.

How do I bulk up my novel?

The key thing to remember when you’re bulking up a novel is to be true to the story. Look for ways to tell that story, deepen those characters, and keep the reader guessing what will happen next.

What are the five elements of a scene?

Understanding (Action) Scenes

  • A scene always contains conflict. A scene is written as if the reader were watching and listening to it happen. …
  • Build it using the tools of dialogue and action. Dramatise the scene. …
  • Scenes exist for a reason. …
  • Scenes are never superfluous. …
  • Remember that something happens next.



How long should a scene be in a novel?

750 Words is a Good Baseline for Most Scenes

We are storytellers writing one scene-story at a time. With that in mind, a good length to shoot for in your scenes is the length of a newspaper story, about 750 words. You can go a little longer or shorter, but 750 words should be enough to tell a fully formed story.

How many scenes are in a chapter?

The Scenes per Chapter insight in Fictionary shows the minimum number of scenes in a chapter is 1, and the maximum number of scenes in a chapter is 24. That’s a big range.

How do you make a boring scene interesting?

This is how to keep your story fresh and exciting in every scene:

  1. If You Can, Trash It. Your first choice should always be to get rid of any in-betweens that don’t advance your plot. …
  2. Introduce Personality: Make It about Character. …
  3. Introduce Action: Make It about Drama. …
  4. Introduce Questions: Make It about Suspense.



What are the elements of a scene?

Consider, instead, the idea that by breaking down each scene to its smallest parts you retain control.

  • Essential Element #1: Time and Place. …
  • Essential Element #2: Character Emotional Development. …
  • Essential Element #3: Goal. …
  • Essential Element #4: Dramatic Action. …
  • Essential Element #5: Conflict.

How do you rewrite a scene?

Progressive steps to help you write that perfect scene:

  1. Identify Its Purpose. Here’s where too many writers flounder. …
  2. Identify the High Moment. …
  3. Emphasize Conflict: Inner and Outer. …
  4. Accentuate Character Change. …
  5. Determine POV. …
  6. Leave Out Boring Stuff. …
  7. Perfect Beginnings and Endings. …
  8. Inject Texture and Sensory Details.

What are rewriting strategies?

5 Rewrite Strategies That Actually Work

  • Tighten Up And Improve Your Script.
  • No 1 – Whose Movie Is It, Anyway?
  • No 2 – Amp Up The Stakes.
  • No 3 – Make The Obstacles Bigger And Better.
  • No 4 – Layer Subtext Into Your Dialogue.
  • No 5 – Let It Rest.



How do you write an angst scene?

6 Tips for Writing a Sad Story

  1. Tap into your own emotionality. …
  2. Know the difference between sentimentality and truth. …
  3. Leave room to be surprised by specific detail. …
  4. Pair strong emotions with ordinary ones. …
  5. Use backstories to add weight. …
  6. Use sad moments to further character development.

How do you organize scenes in a novel?

The Case for a Scene Chart

  1. Envision the story clearly before you write it.
  2. Fix flow and pacing problems before the first draft.
  3. Find plot holes before they develop.
  4. Figure out where you need to add more detail.
  5. Record notes about details and even dialogue you want to remember later.



Does every scene need conflict?

Every single scene in a novel must contain conflict. And that means you have to put it there. And you have to check your drafts scene by scene to make sure it’s there.

How many scenes should a novel have?

How many scenes should be in a novel? Is there a way to take the “beginning hook, middle build, and ending payoff” concepts even further to break down the work into more “doable” parts? This is where a little rudimentary math will help. Your novel should have 50-60 scenes.

Can one scene have multiple locations?

You write a scene with multiple locations by first establishing your first, second, or even third location with a proper scene heading. Then, when you return to the first location, you write just the location name in all caps.

How are scenes divided?

In turn, scenes are further divided into moment-by-moment acting units called beats. A beat is the smallest unit of action in a play. It contains a distinct beginning, middle, and end. In a beat, characters pursue a simple objective.

Is a montage a scene?

Within a screenplay, the montage is a compilation of short scenes or moments — usually with little to no dialogue — that are grouped together to convey a passage of time quickly while communicating necessary visuals and moments within that condensed timeline.



How do you write two scenes happening at the same time?

You write parallel action into a screenplay by writing the two scene headings for the action’s locations and descriptions. Then, you write “INTERCUT” to indicate you are cross-cutting the two places together. Finally, when you’re finished, write “END INTERCUT.”

How do you write overlapping scenes?

Instead of writing scene headings over and over, you can write one scene heading for each location and then indicate that the scenes are INTERCUT together by placing that INTERCUT atop the page to the right.

How do you split scenes in a script?

This is called “lining the script,” and it’s quite easy when things are properly formatted. First, I’ll divide scenes via the scene headings or slug lines. Next, I’ll break each page down into eights. Dividing each page by eighths helps me figure out the timing and scheduling of each scene, and the film as a whole.

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