Scene It? Now, Write It.

“Never ask writers what they are doing staring off into space. That’s when the work gets done.”

This was a quote from my creative writing professor in college. Perhaps he borrowed it from someone else, but I have always taken it to heart. Writing, at least fiction writing, is very much about visualizing a scene and then transferring the visualization to paper. This is many times easier said than done.

Struggling writers often have difficulties getting started. My suggestion is to start at the end. In nearly all works of fiction there is a “payoff” scene. This is either a heavily dramatic moment in the story or the “reveal” where conclusions are reached. Rather than trying to pound out your novel from the first page, start with the payoff scene. Write that first. Once you have that, you can fill in the other scenes. Don’t worry about names, places, time or any of the details; just write out your power scene. You will re-write and re-write, then re-write some more, believe me. Just get this one scene or chapter done.

Stephenie Meyer, creator of the mega hit Twilight series took a similar approach. According to her website, she had a dream about a young girl and a handsome vampire talking in a meadow surrounded by a forest. She wrote that scene first. It was all she had. From that first encounter in the forest, she worked backwards to the start and now forwards through four bestselling books in the series. She got that first scene done and only later figured out character names, backgrounds, back stories and even the setting.

As you prepare to write your scene, think of it like building a house. A homebuilder doesn’t start on one end of the property and build every component until reaching the other side of the property line. A house, like a great scene is built layer upon layer. First you build the foundation, then frame the house, then put up walls, insulation, electrical, plumbing and finally completed detail design--okay, maybe a hot tub. Build your scenes the same way. The first layer is simply how does this scene advance the story? What is the point I am communicating here? Pour the foundation. Next, a house is supported by the framework. In fiction writing, the characters are the framework. What do they say? How do they say it? How does this scene advance or “move” the character through the book.

Well written scenes, or chapters, if you will, should be very visual. The writer’s job is to paint a picture in the reader’s mind. All writers are different in visualization, some are abstract, some are impressionistic, and some are post-modern. In the end, we use what works best for us. The success of a scene depends upon whether the writer gets the reader to “see and experience” what the characters see and experience.

As you are putting the finishing touches on the design for your house (scene), do some visualization. It may seem awkward, but that’s why writers work alone. Close your eyes and “enter” your scene. Look at your characters, look at the setting, and look at others (extras) in the area, what is happening? Imagine that you are a movie director. What do you want in the background? What are “extras” doing in the scene? What is the mood?

Let’s say your scene takes place in a restaurant. You’ve done the foundation work and framed the scene. The characters have done their action. Stand in the middle of your imaginary scene and watch. What does the waiter do? What sounds can you hear? What can you smell? Is it a five star restaurant or a truck stop café? Now take some of what you visualized and build it into the scene. I say “some” because unless you are doing an expose on restaurant interior design, you don’t want your details to overwhelm or derail the story. You want to supplement the story. You want to give it depth and context, but keep the story moving at the appropriate pace. The smallest of details can have a huge impact on the tone or mood of your scene.

Another of my creative writing professor’s oft stated lines was, “You are not writers. You are re-writers.” There is much to celebrate about completing the first draft of your story or novel. The challenge is that you are nowhere near done.

It is sometimes difficult to re-read your own writing because you have the mental framework in your mind as you re-read. You had the picture of the house in your mind as you wrote it. Many times we aren’t the best judge of how well we captured that picture. We know what the house looks like or is supposed to look like. Step back and wipe the slate clean, then re-read your chapter. Of course your editor and trusted friends will give you feedback on the visualization, but as you re-read, think about the following. Are your characters staying in character? Does the setup lead cleanly to the payoff? Is it believable? Are the settings right? Do your hooks work—are they too subtle or too obvious? I’ve had manuscript pages literally pulled from my editing hands because I just couldn’t stop refining, changing, sharpening, shifting and polishing. My work is never done. I am a re-writer.

When you believe you are completed with the re-writing process, think for a moment about Ernest Hemingway. In an interview with a French reporter he was asked about re-writing. Hemingway said that he re-wrote the last page to A Farewell to Arms 39 times. The reporter asked if there was a particular technical problem or something that had stumped him. Hemingway said yes. “Getting the words right.”

Are you getting the words right? If you get stuck, it’s okay to stare off into space. That’s when the work gets done.