Novel Writing: Scene Fundamentals

Discover how the key elements of fiction—character, plot, setting, motivation, and tension—are combined to create compelling scenes that bring your novel to life for your reader. By understanding your authorial choices, character motivation, and scene intentions—and by using key points in Jordan E. Rosenfeld’s Make a Scene: Crafting a Powerful Story One Scene at Time—you’ll learn how to craft scenes that hook your readers and keep them turning the pages.

Course level:  Beginner / Intermediate

Required Book:  Make a Scene: Crafting a Powerful Story One Scene at a Time by Jordan E. Rosenfeld

Workshop Length:  6 weeks

Tuition:  $250.00 ($225 for VIP)

Start Date: View Novel Writing: Scene Fundamentals Course Schedule

Course Structure
The workshop will consist of six one-week sessions. Each session will include online lectures (text based), associated textbook reading assignments, and writing exercises submitted to the instructor for private review. In addition, the course provides an interactive area which you might use to further the conversation with your peers and thus create a community of writers. Those peers, should you continue to stay connected after the completion of your course, could become valuable readers and editors for you going forward.

You will learn:

  • How to craft scene beginnings, middles, and endings
  • How to assess your scene intention and character motivation
  • How to balance the elements of fiction—plot, character, dramatic tension, setting—to create vivid scenes
  • How to forward your novel’s plot through individual scenes
  • How to use particular types of scenes to reveal nuances of your characters and your story

Who should take this course:

  • Fiction writers that want to know how to craft compelling scenes that capture the attention of readers, editors, and agents
  • Graduates of other beginner level classes that want to learn how the focused use of excellent scenes can build an exciting story plot
  • Writers who want to take their work to the next level with guidance from a Published Author

Register for Novel Writing: Scene Fundamentals Writing Workshop

Course Outline

Session One: A Recipe for Scenes

  • The scene defined
  • The fundamentals of scene construction
  • Scene versus narrative summary

Assignment (Fundamental): Write a 600-word scene. It doesn’t have to be an opening scene—right now we’re just getting some experience working with the core elements of a basic scene: character, setting, POV, conflict, action, and dialogue. When you are finished, go back and label the elements of your scene in brackets, as Rosenfeld does on page 7 of your text. Then, write a 150-word summary of this scene. What is the conflict? Who is the major character, and why is this scene being narrated at this specific moment? What do you imagine will happen next?

Assignment (Advanced): Choose a scene from your work-in-progress. Label the elements of this scene, as Rosenfeld does on page 7 of your text. What elements are missing? Rewrite this scene, in approximately 600 words, paying close attention to any missing elements. Finally, write a 150-word assessment of this scene. What do you believe is done well in this scene? What did you struggle with? What was the major conflict in this scene, and who were the major characters?

Session Two: Scalpels Ready!: The Anatomy of a Scene

  • Types and uses of scene launches
  • Complicating your scene middles
  • Methods for scene endings

Assignment (Fundamental): Write two scenes that contain the same plot elements and characters: One scene should begin with a character launch and conclude with a zoom-out ending (300 words). The other scene should begin with an action launch and conclude with a zoom-in ending (300 words). Afterwards, label the beginning, middle, and end of each scene, then write a 150-word paragraph addressing these questions:

  • Which scene did you like better and why?
  • What was your protagonist’s motivation and what was standing in her way?
  • What was at stake for your protagonist in this scene?
  • What was the goal of this scene, and how will it further your plot?

Assignment (Advanced): Working with a scene that you’ve already written, analyze the following questions:

  • What is the scene’s intention? (This can often be answered “To show that the character …” or “To reveal ____ about the plot”)
  • What is your protagonist’s immediate desire, and how have you complicated it?
  • Does this scene have a beginning, middle, and end?

Next, rewrite this scene, in approximately 600 words, using either an action launch or a character launch, raising the stakes for your character, and concluding with one of Rosenfeld’s specific strategies for endings. After you’ve written this scene, label the beginning, middle, and end, and write a 150-word assessment on the following:

  • How did your scene change?
  • How did you raise the stakes for the character?
  • What kind of beginning/ending best suits this scene?

Session Three: Characters and Their Baggage

  • Character as fundamental element of scene
  • Scene setting and character perspective
  • Character motivation and plot development
  • Finding your scene’s intention

Assignment (Fundamental): First, write a bio/character sketch of approximately 200 words for a character you’d like to include in your novel. What is your character’s name, occupation, likes and dislikes, fears and desires? What is your character’s favorite childhood memory? What does your character look like? Be as specific as possible. Next, put this character in a scene (500 to 700 words) where your character is faced with a major and life-altering decision. How does his history and personality play into his decision-making in this scene? Try to let your character act first, then think later. Don’t let him make the “perfect” decision, in other words; make him decide in a hurry, letting things happen naturally. Finally, review your work, and consider these questions:

  • How did your character change from the beginning of this scene to the end?
  • What is the relationship of this scene to your overall plot, if you know it?
  • What is at stake for your character in this scene? What is at risk if he doesn’t get what he wants?
  • What will your character reveal to the reader about his personality?

Assignment (Advanced): Working with a draft of your novel, select a scene, and write a 250-word analysis of the major character in it. You may wish to consider the questions posed above. Now, rewrite this scene (500 to 700 words), paying close attention to your character’s reactions to the events unfolding before her. Once you have rewritten your scene, consider these questions:

  • How is plot shaped by your character’s motivations and decisions?
  • How does setting reveal the mood or temperament of your character?

Session Four: Start. Stop!: Novel-Opening and Novel-Ending Scenes

  • Writing compelling novel openings that project character personality and actions
  • Allowing your characters to reflect at your novel’s end
  • Leaving the reader with final impressions

Assignment (Fundamental): Write a 250-word synopsis of your novel’s plot. Now, write a novel-opening scene and a novel-ending scene (about 500 to 600 words each). Then consider these questions:

  • What is the “significant moment” that begins this novel?
  • How does your character change from the beginning scene to the ending scene?
  • How is the ending scene related to the beginning scene? Is there a connection?
  • Is your character reflective in this final scene, and what particular element of the plot is she reflecting upon?

Assignment (Advanced): Write a 200-word synopsis of your novel. Now, rewrite the opening and closing scenes of your novel (about 500 to 600 words each), paying specific attention to projecting the novel’s conflict in the opening scene and allowing your character to be reflective in the final scene. When you are finished, consider the questions posed in the exercise above.

Session Five: A Scene for Every Occasion

  • Deciding on scene types
  • Writing internal scenes that reveal your character’s emotions and interiority
  • Writing external scenes that engage your protagonist with other characters and action

Assignment (Fundamental): Consider the synopsis you wrote as part of the last assignment. Now, write a necessary “internal” scene and a necessary “external” scene (about 600 to 700 words apiece). Your external scene should include at least 100 words of dialogue; your internal scene should contain an interior monologue and a description of your character’s emotion (without directly stating the emotion). Be sure to label which scene is which.

Assignment (Advanced): Select an “internal” scene and an “external” scene from a novel you are writing. Rewrite each of these scenes (about 600 to 700 words apiece), paying close attention to dialogue, action, and character interaction in the external scene, and interior monologue, setting as a clue toward your character’s mood, and conveying emotion (without naming the emotion) in your internal scene. When you are finished, review your work carefully and consider how these scenes changed.

Session Six: The Grain of Sand and the Beach: Final Considerations

  • Transitioning between scenes
  • Scene in relation to your narrative arc
  • Revising your scenes

Assignment (Fundamental): For your reference only, draft a rough outline of the novel you intend to write, clearly indicating which scenes and which scene types should be included in your early scenes, middle scenes, and final scenes. Don’t worry about getting it perfect. This outline is a work-in-progress, and it will grow and change throughout your writing process. Right now, you’re just trying to get a feel for your key plot points, so that you have some idea of what your climactic scene should include.

After you have done this and have a good idea as to what your key plot points are, write a 1,500-word climax scene (this is what you’ll submit for this assignment). The climax should be the fundamental or defining scene of the novel, the scene of recognition for your character, after which nothing can ever be quite the same. Once you’ve done this, evaluate your work, and consider these questions:

  • Does the scene have a beginning, middle, and end?
  • What kind of scene launch and scene ending do you employ?
  • What do you imagine will be the scene immediately preceding this scene? Immediately following it?
  • Why is this scene the most fundamental scene of your novel?

Assignment (Advanced): For your reference only, create an outline around your completed novel or work-in-progress. Be sure to identify early scenes, middle scenes, and final scenes. Also identify which types of scenes you’re including—dialogue, action, act. Remember, you’re striving for a good mix of scene types. If you already have an outline, review it carefully and revise as necessary to make sure that (1) you have a good blend of scene types and (2) each scene plays a crucial part in furthering your overall story.

After you have done this, evaluate your climatic scene using the points above, and revise as necessary. (This 1,500-word scene is what you should submit for this assignment.)