A short story or a novel is built from a series of scenes linked together. Each scene acts as the heartbeat of your narrative—a distinct unit: where an event or action unfolds within a unified setting and timeframe. Whether you’re crafting dialogue scenes, action-packed moments, or reflective sequels where your character weighs their choices, every scene must deliver certain elements to truly engage your readers.
THE SETTING
Anchor your readers by establishing time and place right at the start—this transition helps orient them within your world and sets expectations for what follows. It should flow from the scene that comes before it.
THE SCENE GOAL
Every scene needs direction. Your point-of-view character must have a clear goal connected to their overarching story objective. For instance, if the protagonist’s mission is to catch a serial killer, their immediate goal in one scene might be examining the murder site for clues. State this goal clearly in the opening lines of the scene so readers understand what’s at stake.
THE MOTIVATION
Characters don’t act without reason; give your POV character an emotional drive that propels them toward their goal in this particular moment.
THE CONFLICT
No compelling scene exists without opposition. Someone—or something—should stand between your character and their objective, generating tension and suspense.
THE CHANGE
By the end of each scene, something vital should shift: emotions deepen, goals transform, or new revelations emerge that alter the course of events.
THE PROBLEM & DECISION
The climax of any effective scene introduces a fresh problem or dilemma for your POV character—one that demands an immediate decision or action (and ideally not the “right” one). This keeps tension high and propels your story forward with urgency.
ANALYZING A SCENE
When revising, analyze each scene for these six keys by summarizing its structure or tagging where each element appears—you’ll quickly see if anything’s missing or needs strengthening. While AI tools like Autocrit or ProWritingAid can assist with this process, nothing replaces hands-on practice; self-analysis hones both skill and intuition as a writer.
To illustrate how these elements work together seamlessly—even in brief passages—I’ll share an example from my novel, Lost Beneath the Tide, below, along with my own analysis of its structure and impact on story momentum.
Ten minutes later, Alex steered the truck into their driveway and parked. He reached across and undid Ellie’s seat belt. [Time & Place]
She looked at him. “Are you coming to Aunt Rosie’s, too?”
“No, I’m going to the play the Shakespeare Club’s putting on. Taking Miss Silva, the lady who pulled you out of the mud and showed you that pickler.” [The motivation came at the end of the last scene where his boss orders him to keep an eye on Cat]
Ellie made no response.
He glanced at her. “That okay with you?” [Conflict]
She chewed on her lip. “You gonna be nice to her?”
“I’m always nice to people. I’m nice to you, aren’t I?”
She giggled. “You have to be nice to me. You’re my daddy. But you don’t like her.”
“Who? Miss Silva? Well, her hair is very pink.”
“See? You don’t like her.” Ellie jumped out and took off for the house.
“Wait.” He hustled after her. “I shouldn’t have said that. We shouldn’t judge people by how they style their hair or by what they wear. It’s just that Miss Silva and I have barely met. We need to get better acquainted. That’s why I’m taking her to the play. I promise, I’ll try to like her.” [Change]
Ellie spun around. “Good.” She bent down and petted a space about a foot above the floor. “Now, Dorchester, be the best puppy ever at Aunt Rosie’s so Daddy doesn’t worry about us, and he can have fun with Cat.”
Fun? Right. Alex marched off to the bedroom to change for his pseudo-date with the Pink-Haired Wonder. It was cute how Ellie worried he didn’t like the perplexing tourist. Not liking her wasn’t the problem. [Dilemma]
For some strange reason, he liked her just fine. Despite the hair and her odd taste in clothes, she was funny and entertaining, and she stirred up all kinds of interesting feelings he hadn’t felt in a long time.
For a fake date, his meet-up with Cat was starting to feel very real. [Decision]
Example Scene Summary
Shortly after leaving his sister’s, Alex arrives home with his daughter, Ellie. He tells her he is going on a date with Cat. A date he has been ordered to go on by his boss. Ellie objects because he doesn’t like Cat. Alex agrees to be nice to her. It is supposed to be a fake date, but Alex realizes he is attracted to Cat, so it isn’t really fake.
Want to try editing a scene of your own? Get a set of scene editing cards here:
Want to learn more about writing powerful scenes? Sign up for my Brand New Workshop: Build a Better Scene, starting January 5th at SAVVY AUTHORS. [It will be posted shortly].
Or take it as a personalized Tutorial at a time convenient for you.
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