Three things when writing a scene
Tuesday, August 19, 2008

There are three things I think about when writing a scene.

The first and for me the most important is each character’s goal with this particular scene, and my goal as a writer. This I always write down on paper before writing anything on the actual script. In most cases a scene has two characters in focus and their goals must be in conflict with each other. Like husband wants to have sex and the wife wants to eat the dinner she has prepared for hours (a stereotype scene though).

Secondly I decide whose scene it is. Who owns the scene? Most likely that character gets his or hers goal fulfilled. This can reveal quite a lot for every character in that scene, so it is not just anybody on a whim. I don’t generally write this down. It’s more something that is part of the inspiration when I sit down to write.

And the third thing is contrasts. Contrasts can enhance the two previous points. It should however be used with some caution. A husband in just briefs and a wife dressed in something extremely un-sexy and buttoned up to the chin may look a bit odd. Never the less a contrast between the characters is useful to enhance the conflict. Sweaty husband in dirty easy style shorts and T-shirt and wife in an extremely clean house setting the table perhaps. I keep contrasts in mind while writing but use this third point mostly when I have written the scene and read it afterwards making corrections.