We’ve learned about scene functions. Now let’s discuss the structure of the scene. Just like the short story or novel, a scene must also have structure: it begins (Rising Action), has a middle (Complication, Climax), and then ends (Resolution). But: How should it begin? What should the middle contain? How should it end? Let’s begin with the Beginnings! Rosenfeld, in Make a Scene, calls the scene beginning a “launch”. You want the scene to begin in such a way as … Read More »

Several years ago, I signed up for a “Writer’s On-Line Workshop” from Writer’s Digest – Novel Writing: Scene Fundamentals. The course used Make a Scene by Jordan E. Rosenfeld for the reading assignments. I had reviewed this book for an issue of Creative Writer’s Notebook that year. Coincidence? No, I love this book! In this series, I’m not going to give you the whole of what I learned, you can buy the book for that. I am going to share with you some of … Read More »