– Here are a couple tips on how you might go about starting a scene in your story! A lot of these have to do with planning beforehand, but it’s no secret that most of the writing process is in planning and editing, rather than actually writing. I hope this is helpful. Happy writing!
First, you should identify where your scene is positioned in the overall plot. Is it in the beginning, middle, or end? Knowing the position of your scene will help you decide how to mold it. Jerry Jenkins, on his blog, put it very eloquently:
Opening Scenes should be loaded with character and set up your premise. That’s where you want to slip in important bits of backstory.
Middle Scenes carry complications, twists, and raise the stakes.
Climactic Scenes should build to a riveting climax, so they might be shorter and packed with action and emotion.
Have Some Idea Of Its Main Purpose
It’s crucial to know the function of your scene, otherwise you’ll be wasting your time. If your scene doesn’t have a clear purpose from the beginning, you’ll end up cutting it out later. Here’s some examples of functions your scene may serve.
Develop characters
Move plot forward
Establish a connection between the subplot(s) and main plot
Show effects of earlier events/actions
Reveal crucial information
Identify Main Symbols and Ideas
It is very helpful when you’re writing to know exactly what symbols you’re meant to incorporate into a scene and what the main idea is. Even if you just sort it out in your head beforehand, you’ll find ways to sprinkle those things in as you go along, and that will add some nice material to prompt critical thinking in your readers. Knowing what symbols and main ideas you’re going to push in a scene will help you add subtext as you write, instead of having to go in as you edit and add it in afterward.
Know Where The Climax Is
It’s important to identify beforehand where the highest point of pressure is within that scene. This is so you can make a plan for how you’ll build up to it and make it stand out, as well as impact your reader more than other bits of the scene.
The climax of your scene does not have to be in the middle, or anywhere near it. It’s 100% possible to have the climax near the beginning or at the very end of a scene. Just beware, if your climax is at the very end of the scene, there won’t be much time for falling action and resolution, so you will likely end that scene on a cliffhanger.
Open Your Scene Effectively
It’s important to open your scene in a way that will grip your reader’s attention. It’s important to remember that there’s a first line to every scene, and that there should be a hook to all of them, and not just the first in your story. Below are some ground-level ideas for how you could go about beginning any one of your scenes.
5 Effective Scene Openings
Starting a scene with action
Starting a scene with summary
Starting a scene by revealing a character’s thoughts
If you know exactly how the scene will end, it’ll be easier to add build up and leave some room for falling action if it is necessary. There are many ways you can go about ending a scene, but the end should round back to the beginning, like the conclusion of an essay rounds back to the introduction. Having a plan beforehand of how you’ll end the scene will make it easier to do this.
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