61MRU-Scene

MRUs - The Scene

A scene has two levels of structure, and only two. They are:
" The large-scale structure of the scene
" The small-scale structure of the scene
Techniques of the Selling Writer, Dwight Swain
Before we begin, our reader is reading your work because you provide him or her with an emotional experience. If we're writing a romance, we must create the illusion that the reader is falling in love herself. If we are writing creative non-fiction, we must return the reader to a time when the world was young to share our joys and woes and those of your characters. And so forth for all other genres.
Large-Scale Structure of a Scene
The large-scale structure of a scene is easy. There are two possible choices you can make for your structure - "Scenes" and "Sequels". Both of these are what ordinary writers call scenes. We'll capitalize these terms to distinguish.
This more sophisticated development of a scene parallels the scene structure we have seen before. Note the sequence below. Motivation begins the sequence of events. It is external and objective. We present it in those terms, in roughly one paragraph.
A Scene has the following three part pattern, which mimics what we have seen before in the O-O-O. (A motivating event may appear first to define the goal.)
1. Goal (Objective) is what your POV character wants at the beginning of the Scene. The Goal must be specific to make your character proactive. The POV character cannot passively wait for the universe to confront him. Even if he's not nice, he's interesting, and your reader will identify with him.
2. Conflict (Obstacle) is the series of obstacles your POV character will face on the way to the Goal. You must have conflict, and it should comprise the bulk of the scene. No victory has value without strife. With struggle, your reader experiences the POV character's emotions.
3. Disaster (negative Outcome) is a failure of the POV character to reach his/her Goal. Don't give up the Goal easily! Winning is boring. No! Make something awful happen and the reader will turn the page to see what happens next.