5 Goals for Any Scene You're Writing

It's one thing to write a scene, but it's another to write a scene that fits into the larger narrative. There's a lot to juggle so that the story doesn't come off feeling too monotonous, rushed, or slow—all of which is heavily influenced by how you've structured your scenes goals.

There's (generally speaking) five things that every scene in your story needs. Each is a kind of goal. Is the scene meant to create conflict, expand on the setting, or endear us to the characters? It could be all three. The most important thing is that you understand the goal and keep pushing the plot forward with each scene.

Script and VO by Adam Bassett
Animation by Cole Field

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[Jaden-lvkx]

10/10 mate. As an avid reader I can attest to how funky the story gets when this isn't "in balance". As a writer, well, I'm hoping to learn that first hand in the next few weeks. You guys are a credit. Thank you!

[nikkinewbie]

I’m a new aspiring writer so that will explain why my comment will be such low hanging fruit craft-wise: I need to justify each scene. It cannot just be there in the story for it’s own sake. This topic and this checklist are essential to grasp and to embrace because I think as readers we don’t even realize the craft that takes place within a well written scene and how the scene sequences progress the story. We just take it for granted - unless we notice or feel something is off.

Thanks for making a video about this. As a newbie I really appreciate it.

[dexterpoindexter]

One suggestion in a comment elsewhere (which seemed rather brilliant) was, If a scene just isn't working, try changing the weather.

Superb on its own. Yet you can expand "weather" from its literal meaning to include characters' states of mind, political climate, imminent natural disaster, an illness or injury, a shortage (rain, salt, bank credit, ammo, workers, light) or relief from a shortage...
Anything considered to be part of the environment, fairly unchangeable, that has a perceptible effect on people could become your 'weather'.

[PhoenixCrown]

Great video! It took me until my third edit of my novel to be able to reeeaalllyy delete stuff--not words or paragraphs, but whole chapters. I like that advice. Now that I'm able to do that, when I'm stuck in my edits and can't figure how to shape the scene, I often realize it's because I don't need the scene at all.
Writing is an art, but the accountant in me loves the 5 checkboxes AND your focus on the first 2.
Thanks!

[travissullivan]

I like using GMCs for checking the scenes value and fleshing them out. I think I'll also add this checklist in that same editing pass (gardener here, so the only framework I lay is DH's story circle for a barebones direction).

Thanks for this.

[Cathowl]

I'm working on two stories -- fics -- actively right now.
In one all the scenes are meant to advance the story in one or more of these ways. I have a goal in mind, and I'm leading myself towards it.
In the other story, I'm just having fun writing. Each scene only needs to justify itself by me enjoying it being there.
The energy of writing the two stories is SO DIFFERENT even before you take the content into account, just from this split alone.

[FedoraKirb]

There’s an Extra Credits episode that talks about dialogue in a similar way, stating that if you want to avoid throwaway lines, then each one of them should do at least one of four things:

1. Advance the plot
2. Say something about the speaker
3. Say something about another character
4. Inform the audience about the world.

Unless a line is particularly funny or heartfelt or carries some other artistic value on its own, if it fails to meet any of the above criteria, it’s a throwaway line.

This is a great video!

[nathanielmuga]

Hey this is awesome, thanks for making it.

[annejia]

i love the intro specially the sound effects 😂

[SillyRobot]

Dope tips. Very helpful, to me at least.

[Sharkuterie]

Oh my god I couldn’t stop laughing through that intro 😂