Arrive late; leave early. It’s a splendid mantra for mandatory office parties, but it also applies to scene setting. Don’t begin the scene with tedious party preparations, the highlighting and contouring needed to turn Plain Jane into Beautiful Belle, or the inevitable staring at one’s reflection as a means of self-description. ARRIVE LATE. Begin the scene with the swish of silk and the striking of her heel against the marble tiles as heads turn to stare… LEAVE EARLY. End the … Read More »

  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 to continue to … Read More »

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 »

No, not you. It’s a message to me, from me, granting permission to step away from the computer screen, to let my brain rest, and mull a plot point over in my brain while I sweep the driveway. Several drafts in, and I’m again at a pivotal point in my story – the Turning Point. It’s where Maggie, my main character, finds a clue that propels her to the end of the story. I struggled with it for days, trying … 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 »

Going forward, unfortunately, involves going back. At least, that’s what I encountered this weekend on the “home stretch” of my middle grade novel. I succumbed to the “WILL THIS EVER BE DONE?” pity party on Saturday, and did not turn my computer on until Sunday afternoon. I tidied up, and went to a symphony concert Saturday night. Sunday, I slept in, watched “Sunday Morning,” and enjoyed my breakfast of oatmeal, walnuts, and raspberries. I hung up a great sale deal … Read More »