Does your Scene Pass this Checklist?
- Where/When. (Setting) Did you orient the reader at the beginning of the scene? Does the reader know where this takes place: room in house, city, state, country, etc? Does the reader know when this takes place: time of day, season of year, place within chronology of story? If the answer to where or when is no, do you have a firm reason for leaving the reader disoriented?
- Stakes. Are the stakes of the scene goal clear? If the protagonist fails, do we understand the consequences? Are the consequences substantial? Can you put more at stake, or make it matter in some way?
- Structure. Is the structure clear, with a beginning, middle, pivot point and ending? Is the chronology of the scene clear (did you use transitions such as then, later, before, after, etc.)?
- Actions. Are the actions of the scene interesting, and told with active verbs and great clarity?
- Emotions. Are the emotions clearly stated or implied? Can the reader empathize with the characters? Does the reader weep or laugh, even when the character can’t or won’t?
- Dialogue. Does the dialogue move the scene forward or is it empty chit-chat? Are there minor conflicts embedded in the conversations?
- Language. Are you telling or showing? Does your storytelling have clarity and coherence?
- Voice. Does the language create the proper mood, tone, voice?
- Transition. Does the scene make a smooth transition to the next scene? If you use a scene cut, does the reader have enough information to follow the cut without getting confused?
- Cohesive. Do all the elements work together to create a gestalt, a scene that is better than the sum of its parts?
Do NOT Pass Go Until You've Passed this Check List
Where does your scene fall down? Revise. You know the drill.