 Drama: October 02, 2019 Issue [#9786] |
This week: Scene by Scene Edited by: Kate - Writing & Reading  
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"When asked, 'How do you write?'
I invariably answer, 'one word at a time.'"
Stephen King
Welcome to this week's edition of the WDC Drama Newsletter. I'm honored to be your guest host, and invite you to explore with me a building block to insinuating drama into our writing. |
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Greetings, to paraphrase Mr. King's statement above, consider this:
How do I write drama? One scene at a time!
Makes sense, doesn't it??
A scene is a bite-sized portion of a play, a story, a poem. A scene doesn't just appear on a page, but is woven of words and images we, the writers put to paper (or computer).
So, what's a scene? It's a single event that moves the story, poem, play forward. I see a scene as akin to flash fiction, a chapter in a story, a stanza (or two) in a poem. I once submitted the start of a novel in a seminar to a well-published author who commended me for my lyrical writing, even saying she wished she could write lyric prose thus; then followed praise with, "...but where's the scene."
Tough love, and an effective, memorable lesson. A scene is akin to a short play and, like the complete story, poem or plan in which it appears, it has a beginning, middle and end. It can be a stanza, a few paragraphs, or several pages long. And yes, we want drama in the scene, moving it forward with passion, with action, with pathos, as befits our work-in-progress.
A dramatic scene will have one or more of the following:
An action sequence, between several characters or one individual's conflict;
Dialogue exchange;
Tension - focusing on on dramatic moment or event; and/or
Be set in a particular time and/or place.
So, we're back to the idea that a scene, particularly a dramatic scene, has tension. It engages the characters or idea, and draws the reader in; makes him/her care about what's happening. So crafting a scene is like crafting the story/poem itself.
Is the tension immediate. Can make the scene more dramatic, funnier, more embarrassing?
Is dialogue effective, convincing?
Does the scene reveal character?
Does the scene present information that's important, vital?
Does the scene incite questions and keep the reader involved?
If, reading what you just wrote, you don't see the above qualities in the scene, and you want a dramatic scene to engage the character and reader , it's time for the dreaded re-write. I like to read aloud and see if I can hear the voices, see the action, and feel the drama, the tension developing. Then on to the next scene, to see if a question is resolved, the drama increased or decreased, before the next dramatic event.
Without drama, characters (and readers) get out of the story and may or may not make the effort to re-engage the story. So, write that scene with dramatic tension and move on to the next, and the next, and the next...
Write On
Kate
Kate ~ Retooling
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Now, I invite you to read some dramatic scenes as woven by several members of our Community. See if the drama holds you in the story. Let the writers know if they've kept you in, with a comment or perchance a review Then, weave a story or epic of your own and share it in the challenge below
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Have an opinion on what you've read here today? Then send the Editor feedback! Find an item that you think would be perfect for showcasing here? Submit it for consideration in the newsletter!
https://www.Writing.Com/go/nl_form
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Thank you for sharing this exploration with me. Until we next meet, may you have fun weaving your dramatic prose and verse, one scene at a time
Write On!!
Kate
Kate ~ Retooling |
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