Artistry of Authors - Drawing Pictures with Words

When a writer set out to write a scene, they are trying to determine what they need to include so that the reader will picture the scene in their head. What an author includes or deletes can make or ruin a scene.

So first let's look at the elements of a scene. I believe you can break each scene down to three elements.

   

1.      Character

a.       Who is this scene about?

b.      What is the relationship of the characters in the scene?

c.       What is the emotional impact to the character?

d.      What does the character want? (Long-term and short-term goals)

e.       What are the obstacles in the way?

2.      Setting

a.       What season is it? (Time, day, year, past, future)

b.      Description of the place (house, boat, office, city, country)

c.       Special items (gun, knive, pills, items needed for the plot)

d.      Senses (see, hear, smell, taste, feel)

3.      Event

a.       What’s happen in the scene to drive the plot forward?

b.      What does the reader learn for this scene?

c.       What are the characters doing? (the physical action or character movement)

d.      How does the event occurring affect the character?

All of these thing are important in developing a scene and can add to the picture the reader sees in their head.

Hope you find all these elements in the next good book you read,

Anita Philmar