One of the challenges facing any writer is this: You have developed a scene, and it is really good. It is riveting, solid, and well written. Interesting characters move through it in believable fashion; you can practically see it playing out on screen. There's just one hitch: somehow, it doesn't quite do what you need it to do in the context of the entire manuscript, and you're not sure what to do about it.
Sometimes, painful though it may be, you may need to delete it from the manuscript; a scene that does not advance the story in a satisfying manner cannot be allowed to remain, no matter how excellently it is written. But very often, such drastic surgery isn't necessary. Answering a few basic questions and revising the scene accordingly can heighten its impact and make it a more dynamic part of your completed work.
First, does the scene's beginning pull readers of the previous scene further into the story? At its end, does it push them to move into the next scene? If the answer is "no," or "I don't know," you may want to consider how the events of the previous and subsequent scenes tie into your problem scene. Sometimes you may need to move material between scenes for greater effectiveness; for example, perhaps a bit of exposition regarding the resolution of some conflict or tension in the previous scene needs to be moved back into that scene, letting you jump into the new scene with a growing problem or a piece of action that is a logical development from the previous scene's resolution. Sometimes the ending to your scene needs to leave the reader realizing that while the scene's main conflict has been resolved, another conflict or problem is now rearing its head---not quite a cliffhanger (although that can be a useful device when not overused), but enough to keep the reader moving into finding out how the new area of tension is going to play out. There are exceptions to every rule, but generally, don't begin a scene with a lot of exposition if you can move quickly into action of some sort, and don't end a scene with the feeling that everything has been wrapped up neatly with a bow on it.
Second, does anything grow or change during the scene? Is there development of a character arc? Does the scene drive toward a protagonist's choice that has real stakes attached? Does the world around the character grow in some way, pushing the character to change in response? If nothing happens during the scene that really matters to the overall story, then the scene isn't carrying its weight.
Third, does the scene carry out multiple purposes in the narrative? Ideally, the scene will develop or advance several things at once, whether it's the overall plot, a subplot, a character arc, world development, character relationships, or a theme. If the scene only serves one purpose, that may explain why it isn't meshing well with other scenes weighted more heavily toward other aspects of the story. A scene that works on several areas is less likely to end up seeming flat when considered in the context of the rest of the story.
Fourth, does the scene grow organically from what the story has already revealed? Plot twists and unexpected developments are fine, but they still need to have some logical or emotional continuity with what's already been going on. Throwing in a scene that mostly supplies shock value often leaves readers feeling cheated---as in a detective story, it's not fair to your readers to leave them without any hints of what might be coming down the line. A development that in hindsight gets the reaction, "Now why didn't I see that coming before?" is fine; a narrative sucker punch is not.
Five, is the scene providing value in developing something significant to the overall story, or is it heading off down a rabbit trail, chasing some minor event or character that will have very little influence on your narrative when all is said and done? Minor stuff can add a lot of richness to your story, but don't give it more space than it deserves based on its overall importance. Scenes that are chasing rabbits probably need to be cut, no matter how fine the writing within the scene is.
Now, if your review indicates that drastic surgery is necessary and a scene needs to go, that doesn't mean you should discard it entirely; as many an author has found, such scenes sometimes carry the germ of a whole new work in them, so there's no harm in stashing them in a file somewhere and letting them percolate in the back of your mind. Just make sure that the scenes you do keep are pulling their full weight in moving your story along, and you'll probably be much happier with both your end results and their reception by others.
Happy writing!
Sometimes, painful though it may be, you may need to delete it from the manuscript; a scene that does not advance the story in a satisfying manner cannot be allowed to remain, no matter how excellently it is written. But very often, such drastic surgery isn't necessary. Answering a few basic questions and revising the scene accordingly can heighten its impact and make it a more dynamic part of your completed work.
First, does the scene's beginning pull readers of the previous scene further into the story? At its end, does it push them to move into the next scene? If the answer is "no," or "I don't know," you may want to consider how the events of the previous and subsequent scenes tie into your problem scene. Sometimes you may need to move material between scenes for greater effectiveness; for example, perhaps a bit of exposition regarding the resolution of some conflict or tension in the previous scene needs to be moved back into that scene, letting you jump into the new scene with a growing problem or a piece of action that is a logical development from the previous scene's resolution. Sometimes the ending to your scene needs to leave the reader realizing that while the scene's main conflict has been resolved, another conflict or problem is now rearing its head---not quite a cliffhanger (although that can be a useful device when not overused), but enough to keep the reader moving into finding out how the new area of tension is going to play out. There are exceptions to every rule, but generally, don't begin a scene with a lot of exposition if you can move quickly into action of some sort, and don't end a scene with the feeling that everything has been wrapped up neatly with a bow on it.
Second, does anything grow or change during the scene? Is there development of a character arc? Does the scene drive toward a protagonist's choice that has real stakes attached? Does the world around the character grow in some way, pushing the character to change in response? If nothing happens during the scene that really matters to the overall story, then the scene isn't carrying its weight.
Third, does the scene carry out multiple purposes in the narrative? Ideally, the scene will develop or advance several things at once, whether it's the overall plot, a subplot, a character arc, world development, character relationships, or a theme. If the scene only serves one purpose, that may explain why it isn't meshing well with other scenes weighted more heavily toward other aspects of the story. A scene that works on several areas is less likely to end up seeming flat when considered in the context of the rest of the story.
Fourth, does the scene grow organically from what the story has already revealed? Plot twists and unexpected developments are fine, but they still need to have some logical or emotional continuity with what's already been going on. Throwing in a scene that mostly supplies shock value often leaves readers feeling cheated---as in a detective story, it's not fair to your readers to leave them without any hints of what might be coming down the line. A development that in hindsight gets the reaction, "Now why didn't I see that coming before?" is fine; a narrative sucker punch is not.
Five, is the scene providing value in developing something significant to the overall story, or is it heading off down a rabbit trail, chasing some minor event or character that will have very little influence on your narrative when all is said and done? Minor stuff can add a lot of richness to your story, but don't give it more space than it deserves based on its overall importance. Scenes that are chasing rabbits probably need to be cut, no matter how fine the writing within the scene is.
Now, if your review indicates that drastic surgery is necessary and a scene needs to go, that doesn't mean you should discard it entirely; as many an author has found, such scenes sometimes carry the germ of a whole new work in them, so there's no harm in stashing them in a file somewhere and letting them percolate in the back of your mind. Just make sure that the scenes you do keep are pulling their full weight in moving your story along, and you'll probably be much happier with both your end results and their reception by others.
Happy writing!