[Pick a scene no longer than 1200 words.]
Scene Therapy Examples
Step One: Build the foundation of the scene
Scene Set Up:
Action Objectives (What does the Author want?)
What kind of scene is it? (Reaction, Action, Combo).
Action: Goal, Conflict, Disaster
Reaction: Response, Dilemma, Decision
Reaction/Action
Modified Response, Dilemma, Decision
Goal, Conflict, Disaster
What does POV want? What does she want at this moment?
Emotionally, physically? Answering this question will help you build the conflict.
Why? (do they want this?)
What is the Push/Pull?
Every scene has to have an emotional or physical push/pull (or combination thereof).
It’s the PUSH away from something negative, and the PULL toward something positive.
What’s at Stake:
What will happen if they DON’T meet their goal? What fear hovers over the scene?
Where do you start?
Anchoring:
5 Ws/Facts
5 Senses
On the RUN!
SHARP
Stakes
Hero/Heroine Identification
Anchoring
Run
Problem
Exercise: What is your character thinking right now? Make a statement and use this as your first line.
Step Two: Add the Emotional connection
Exercise:
Step 1: What is your character feeling? When have you ever felt that way? Take 5 minutes to write a time when you felt that way. Write yourself 5 minutes after that event happened. What are you thinking?
Step 2: What other emotion are you feeling? Find the Emotional Hue. What’s the one thing you wish you could say? What emotion does that reflect? Is there someone else in the scene that reflects this emotion?
Step 3: Make it memorable. What is the ONE STRANGE THING that you did? How can your character have a similar action that epitomizes the emotion?
Step 4: First line exercise: What is your character thinking RIGHT NOW? Write that into the first paragraph.
Step Three: Create Tension
Dialogue
Exercises:
Step 1: Just the words – no tags
Step 2: Just insults, zingers
Step 3: Let a secret out, or say something they shouldn’t say.
Step 4: Make one silent (add in meaningful action).
Step 5: Have the POV character say something under their breath?
Step 5: Combine.
Inner Dissonance (competing values/emotions)
Exercise: What two things does the character want that are competing emotions? (This creates tension!) Add that in through an action or an internal thought. (3rd person)
Exercise: Defeat or Victory – hint at the opposite – 2 times. (hint at victory…or hint at failure)
Step Four: Paint the scene with words:
FOCUS/Symbolism
Exercise: Find one element of static description in your scene, and FOCUS it.
Exercise: Take one active description, create a metaphorical pool and rewrite the description.
Step Five: Leave a lasting impression
Exercise: What is the one thing you’d never expect your character to do? What is the one surprise you can give your character? What is the worst thing, in this moment that could happen to your character?
