on writing: scenes
tips on writing scenes and why scenes feel flat
Sometimes, tackling scenes from your polished outline is the trickiest part. Not only are you trying to describe what is happening, how things and characters interact, what the characters are saying to each other or to themselves, but the goal is also to keep your reader engaged and create scenes that are memorable.
If writing out your scenes feels like hard work, asking these questions might help you get ahead.
What needs to happen in this scene?
Who needs to be in this scene?
Where does this scene take place?
What is the atmosphere in this scene if it were in a movie? Play it in your head.
What is the most surprising thing that could happen in this scene?
What’s your scene’s purpose? I sometimes love “no plot, just vibes”, but as a writer, it is easier to write something when I know what I’m trying to achieve. Every scene should have at least one purpose. When I write my outlines, I add a goal or reveal for each scene to make sure there is one. Purposes can be: advancing the plot, revealing character, heightening a conflict or conveying a theme. What does your scene need to accomplish? Take a step back and notice if your scenes fit seamlessly into the broader narrative arc.
Do you want to skip the Setup? Maybe try the scene close to the action or point of conflict, instead of warming up to a certain plot point. Sometimes, getting straight to the core of the moment keeps the pace exciting.
What happens if you cut on a high note? Ending a scene once its purpose is fulfilled, at a point of tension or change, can be quite powerful in storytelling. This way, you can keep the reader eager for what’s next.
Did you use sensory details? Don’t forget to engage the senses to bring your scene to life. Describe sounds, smells, textures, colours, or create vivid mental images to pull your reader into the scene. This can help with “Showing, not telling”.
Did you use too much description? See if you’re describing what’s relevant to the characters or the mood, or if you would get bored as a reader taking all the unnecessary information. It’s okay to let the readers fill in some blanks! Focus on details that contribute to the scene’s emotion or theme.
Can you mix up Showing and Telling? Showing brings immediacy, but a bit of telling can help move things along, especially when you are summarising less-important moments.
How’s your dialogue? Dialogue is the most fun part of writing for me personally, so I often write dialogue into Draft Zero before the descriptions even come in. Try to make sure that every line of dialogue reveals something–either about the character’s personality, their desires, or relationships. Keep your dialogue active and avoid small talk if it’s not relevant to the story! Open up a book you adored reading and check its dialogue! Most of the time you will find that every line served a purpose somehow.
Did you add subtext? Characters don’t always say what they mean. You can show this by using indirect dialogue, or characters talking around issues, their body language and tone hinting at underlying feelings. This creates tension and tension is good!
Do your characters have distinct voices? Vary speech patterns and match them to the characters’ backgrounds, personalities, and motivations. Next to habits, their speech and expression make characters feel more authentic.
Can you utilise conflict? Good scenes often have both types of conflict: an external one (like an argument) paired with an internal struggle (like self-doubt), to create layered tension.
How do you show reactions? Characters’ emotional responses are key to making scenes relatable to the reader. How does an event affect your characters internally–through physical sensations, reflections, or behavioural shifts.
How are you using mood and atmosphere? Describing the setting in a way that complements the mood of the scene makes it stand out by amplifying the feeling. A good example is the winter / the cold in The Secret History by Donna Tartt, being a motif for reflecting the moral and emotional chill that pervades the characters' lives as they spiral into guilt, isolation, and despair.
Can you use specific elements of the environment to add to the scene’s impact or symbolism? Instead of describing generic details, a cracked mirror or a ticking clock can convey a lot more.
Do you slow down for impactful moments? I like to read and draw out in writing climactic scenes or moments of revelation. These scenes are often the ones that I must go back to to read again. Add detail and give space to the characters’ emotions – because they also need to let the twist sink in, just like you reading.
Do you use rhythm to reflect emotions? You can speed up your writing in shorter sentences and rapid-fire dialogue to create a sense of urgency in high-stakes scenes, write fragmented sentences and abrupt changes to capture the anxiety that characters feel.
Not a must, but a welcome sprinkle: Do you hint at future conflicts? Do you foreshadow? It can be obvious, or a hidden hint: Give readers a reason to stay curious. It could be an unanswered question, a new problem, a theory, an emotional shift that promises development…
Is there enough clarity? Make sure the key points in your scenes are clear, even if the scenes have subtlety and layers.
Are you stuck or unhappy with the scene? Does it not feel right for some reason? Brainstorm 3 different ways this scene could happen. Or: write the scene now and keep this task for editing rounds.
What’s the worst that could happen if this scene were omitted?
Why does a scene feel flat?
Excessive focus on one character
lack of sensory detail or atmosphere
too much dialogue
unrealistic / unconvincing dialogue
lack of purpose
lack of clear stakes
weak conflict
bad word choices
repetitive scenes
predictability or clichéd events (of course, there are exceptions)
lacking motivation / goals
lack of emotional connection to characters’ emotions
excessive internal monologue or backstory (there are exceptions)
slow pacing (without purpose, without tension or momentum)
one active character and the rest being passive or irrelevant to the scene
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