Scene Writing Analysis

Runners train for months or years or marathons. Most professional dancers begin their training before the age of 6 and show up to the studio every day for hours. So, (I’m talking to myself here), it’s time to get quit messing around and get serious about scene craft because the scene is the story.

I’ve started a SubStack dedicated to scene work and analysis.

Come practice with me. Consider this our rehearsal space. Stretching before your session is optional.

Each week I will provide a scene, likely one of my own. I write predominantly YA, Sci-Fi, but no promises on sticking the genre. The scene will be free. The analysis will be paid. The analysis is the point and the hard part.

In the analysis I will define the inciting incident, list the progressive complications, define the turning point, name the crisis question, and define the resolution. I’ll provide an overview- does the scene work? Why or why not? Hint: if a scene is not working it will be because one of those crucial pieces is missing and for me that is typically a weak crisis question. Practice, practice, practice!

Am I the world’s authority on writing scenes that work? No. But I do believe that we can both get better with practice.

So, grab your pen, stretch if you want to, and let’s get to work. Meet me on Substack!