Develop a SceneDevelop a Scene

Writing a story is similar to Writing a story is similar to telling a story.telling a story.

In both cases there will be times In both cases there will be times when you want your reader when you want your reader

(or listener) to feel like they are (or listener) to feel like they are right inside the story, right inside the story,

experiencing the events as if experiencing the events as if they were one of the characters.they were one of the characters.

Writers and storytellers do this Writers and storytellers do this by stepping aside and letting the by stepping aside and letting the

events of the story speak for events of the story speak for themselves.themselves.

Let’s read this Let’s read this short scene short scene about going about going mushrooming mushrooming with her family.with her family.

We call this a We call this a scenescene because because the writer has the writer has given us given us details that details that allow us to allow us to experience it experience it as if we were as if we were watching a watching a movie in our movie in our mind.mind.

When we first When we first start reading, we start reading, we don’t know don’t know exactly what’s exactly what’s happening.happening.

But we follow But we follow along as the along as the narrator steps narrator steps over the wire and over the wire and into the field and into the field and then runs ahead then runs ahead until she finally until she finally lifts the branches lifts the branches to find the first to find the first mushroom.mushroom.

The writer might have simply told The writer might have simply told us the event like this:us the event like this:

One Saturday I went mushrooming with my One Saturday I went mushrooming with my family. We went out into the woods family. We went out into the woods looking for mushrooms, and my sister and looking for mushrooms, and my sister and I found the first one. It was a ton of fun.I found the first one. It was a ton of fun.

Let’s talk about the difference Let’s talk about the difference between the two:between the two:

One Saturday I went One Saturday I went mushrooming with mushrooming with my family. We my family. We went out into the went out into the woods looking for woods looking for mushrooms, and mushrooms, and my sister and I my sister and I found the first found the first one. It was a ton one. It was a ton of fun.of fun.

The first scene The first scene draws attention draws attention to the event, to the event, puts the reader puts the reader in the story, in the story, and is more and is more engaging.engaging.

What techniques does the writer What techniques does the writer use to create a scene?use to create a scene?

Here are some:Here are some:

dialoguedialogue

descriptiondescription

uses of sensesuses of senses

holding the end to the endholding the end to the end

Learning to write a scene will Learning to write a scene will make you a stronger writer.make you a stronger writer.

You won’t choose to write every You won’t choose to write every part of a story in this way, but part of a story in this way, but you’ll definitely want to craft you’ll definitely want to craft

scenes for significant parts of a scenes for significant parts of a story.story.

I’d like each of you to practice I’d like each of you to practice writing a scene today.writing a scene today.

Is there a moment in the story Is there a moment in the story you are writing now or in an you are writing now or in an

earlier story you’ve written, that earlier story you’ve written, that is significant or more important is significant or more important

than others?than others?

Or think about a recent event in Or think about a recent event in your life that you could try your life that you could try

writing a scene.writing a scene.

Assignment:Assignment:

Students pair up and spend a couple Students pair up and spend a couple minutes talking about what might go into minutes talking about what might go into your scene.your scene.

Develop a SceneDevelop a Scene

Think about the dialogue, description, and Think about the dialogue, description, and use of senses.use of senses.

Where might you start?Where might you start?

How would it end?How would it end?

When you go back to your seat, When you go back to your seat, put this idea to work in your put this idea to work in your writing. You may want to writing. You may want to

rewrite a piece of your story to rewrite a piece of your story to make it more scene-like. If make it more scene-like. If

you’re starting something new, you’re starting something new, be looking for places where you be looking for places where you

can write a scene.can write a scene.