by Molly Noble Bull
www.mollynoblebull.com
Did you know that at one time manners were taught in our nation’s public schools? Teachers as well as parents taught their children to say yes, ma’am and no, ma’am—yes, sir and no, sir. Please and yes—thank you. These words were called the “social graces.” Back then, being kind, thoughtful, gracious, and respectful were as normal as computers and cell phones.
Jesus taught about giving thanks, too.
And as he entered into a certain village, there met him ten men that were lepers, which stood far off.
And they lifted up their voices and said, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.
And when he saw them, he said unto them, Go show yourselves unto the priests. And it came to pass, that, as they went, they were cleansed.
And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God,
And fell down on his face at his feet, giving him thanks: and he was a Samaritan.
And Jesus answering said, Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine?
There are not found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger.
And he said unto him, Arise, go thy way: they faith hath made thee whole.
Luke 17:12-19 KJV
I live in south Texas in the heart of cattle country where rain is often a long time in coming. When I was growing up, we often prayed in church for rain. But I cannot recall a time when we gave thanks to God after the rains.
This Thanksgiving make a note to teach your children the “social graces.” If you do, they might also learn to give thanks to God for all His blessings as well.
Sunday, November 23, 2008
Monday, July 28, 2008
Fiction Goals via Dwight Swain
by Molly Noble Bull
According to Dwight Swain, author of Techniques of the Selling Writer, character and story goals are important. He goes on to say that all story goals come from one of these three groups—possession of something, relief from something, and revenge for something.
Of these three, possession of something is the most widely used. By that I think he means that with regard to most fiction stories and novels, the main character must want to possession something.
Think of a little kid. We will call him Tommy. Tommy wants to take a cookie from the cookie jar and possess it—in other words, eat it.
Character or story goals must also be one of two kinds of goals—a goal of achievement or a goal of resistance. In fiction, if a character is attempting to get or win something—like a girlfriend, or a job, or a special honor, we call that a goal of achievement. On the other hand, if a character is trying to keep someone else from taking those very things away, Dwight Swain calls that a goal of resistance.
Tommy’s goal is one of achievement. He wants a cookie. His mom’s goal is one of resistance. She doesn’t want him to eat cookies. She wants him to eat his supper.
In every story there must always be two competing sides. One side tries to achieve or get something, and the other side tries to resist them or keep them from reaching their goal. The position of the hero or heroine in the story decides whether the story goal is one of achievement or a goal of resistance. Whether achieving or resisting, the main character should show his willingness to fight for what he wants or he will appear weak to the reader and not worthy to reach his goal.
On a small scale, there is a war of wills here—Tommy on one side and his mom on the other. Both must be strong opponents.
The hero's goal should always be noble. Thieves are bad guys. Therefore, if the hero is a thief, you must give him a good reason for stealing what belongs to someone else.
That is what some call the Robinhood Plot, taking from the rich and giving to the poor. Swain says that by the laws of fiction, if a man or woman is unfaithful to his or her spouse, the spouse must be a villain and a terrible person. That way the kind-hearted hero can rescue his true love from the hands of her wicked husband.
In Tommy’s case, he is student. Will he learn from his mistakes and become good and noble? Or will he refuse to learn and perhaps become a thief when he grows up?
Remember all those movies where toward the end of the story, the good guy and the main bad guy fight it out one-to-one? That is probably what is meant by the rule that when the main character reaches his goal, it must be the result of his or her efforts more or less alone. At the end of a western movie, there is often a fight between the main good cowboy and the main bad cowboy.
If the main character reaches his goal as the result of someone else's efforts, the plot suffers and the story or book probably won't sell. In a nutshell, you can’t let some other character in your story handle that final one-to-one conflict. It has to be the hero or heroine.
As a result of something that happens in the story, Tommy might decide that Mom was right all along. He shouldn’t eat cookies before supper. But he must come to this decision alone.
Character and story goals are important in fiction. Without them, the story could fall apart.
# #
Sanctuary, a long historical by Molly Noble Bull, won the 2008 Gayle Wilson Award of Excellence in the Inspirational category for published novelists. Sanctuary also tied for first place in the 2008 Winter Rose contest for published authors in the inspirational category. Both are Romance Writers of American chapter contests.
www.mollynoblebull.com
Click below to hear a short audio excerpt from Sanctuary.
www.mollynoblebull.com/soundbyte.htm
www.shoutlife.com/mollynoblebull
Proverbs 30: 4
According to Dwight Swain, author of Techniques of the Selling Writer, character and story goals are important. He goes on to say that all story goals come from one of these three groups—possession of something, relief from something, and revenge for something.
Of these three, possession of something is the most widely used. By that I think he means that with regard to most fiction stories and novels, the main character must want to possession something.
Think of a little kid. We will call him Tommy. Tommy wants to take a cookie from the cookie jar and possess it—in other words, eat it.
Character or story goals must also be one of two kinds of goals—a goal of achievement or a goal of resistance. In fiction, if a character is attempting to get or win something—like a girlfriend, or a job, or a special honor, we call that a goal of achievement. On the other hand, if a character is trying to keep someone else from taking those very things away, Dwight Swain calls that a goal of resistance.
Tommy’s goal is one of achievement. He wants a cookie. His mom’s goal is one of resistance. She doesn’t want him to eat cookies. She wants him to eat his supper.
In every story there must always be two competing sides. One side tries to achieve or get something, and the other side tries to resist them or keep them from reaching their goal. The position of the hero or heroine in the story decides whether the story goal is one of achievement or a goal of resistance. Whether achieving or resisting, the main character should show his willingness to fight for what he wants or he will appear weak to the reader and not worthy to reach his goal.
On a small scale, there is a war of wills here—Tommy on one side and his mom on the other. Both must be strong opponents.
The hero's goal should always be noble. Thieves are bad guys. Therefore, if the hero is a thief, you must give him a good reason for stealing what belongs to someone else.
That is what some call the Robinhood Plot, taking from the rich and giving to the poor. Swain says that by the laws of fiction, if a man or woman is unfaithful to his or her spouse, the spouse must be a villain and a terrible person. That way the kind-hearted hero can rescue his true love from the hands of her wicked husband.
In Tommy’s case, he is student. Will he learn from his mistakes and become good and noble? Or will he refuse to learn and perhaps become a thief when he grows up?
Remember all those movies where toward the end of the story, the good guy and the main bad guy fight it out one-to-one? That is probably what is meant by the rule that when the main character reaches his goal, it must be the result of his or her efforts more or less alone. At the end of a western movie, there is often a fight between the main good cowboy and the main bad cowboy.
If the main character reaches his goal as the result of someone else's efforts, the plot suffers and the story or book probably won't sell. In a nutshell, you can’t let some other character in your story handle that final one-to-one conflict. It has to be the hero or heroine.
As a result of something that happens in the story, Tommy might decide that Mom was right all along. He shouldn’t eat cookies before supper. But he must come to this decision alone.
Character and story goals are important in fiction. Without them, the story could fall apart.
# #
Sanctuary, a long historical by Molly Noble Bull, won the 2008 Gayle Wilson Award of Excellence in the Inspirational category for published novelists. Sanctuary also tied for first place in the 2008 Winter Rose contest for published authors in the inspirational category. Both are Romance Writers of American chapter contests.
www.mollynoblebull.com
Click below to hear a short audio excerpt from Sanctuary.
www.mollynoblebull.com/soundbyte.htm
www.shoutlife.com/mollynoblebull
Proverbs 30: 4
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Fiction Writing 101: Lesson # 1
Writing Via Dwight Swain
by Molly Noble Bull
Since I don’t know the writing background of those who will be reading these lessons on fiction writing, I am starting at the very beginning. For me, that means Dwight Swain because in my opinion, his book Techniques of the Selling Writer is the best of the best. This lesson is easy, but they will get harder as we move along.
I have included three discussion questions. Please take part in these discussions (My Questions. Your Answers) by commenting on this lesson.
Molly Noble Bull
www.mollynoblebull.com
Questions and Answers
1. What is a story?
Dwight Swain, author of Techniques Of The Selling Writer, (University of Oklahoma Press) says a story is never about anything. Instead, a story is someone's reaction to what happened. A story is how someone deals with danger.
2. What is danger?
Danger in a story is change. When any given situation is altered, the results are a different situation.
Example:
At the beginning of Gone With The Wind, Scarlet had Tara, her land. She thought she also had Ashley. But her situation changed, giving her the goal of trying to get back Tara and Ashley. Events changed her situation, causing her to develop new goals.
3. Why do readers read fiction?
Readers read fiction because it creates a pleasurable state of tension and escape for them.
4. What is reader tension?
Reader tension is the desire to know, immediately, what will happen next to the characters in the story.
5. What is a hook?
A hook is a writing device designed to catch, hold, sustain or pull the reader along from sentence one to the end of the story or book.
6. Why is a beginning hook important in fiction?
When I go into a bookstore to buy a book, I read the first line on page # 1. If the first line pulls me into the story and makes me want to read more, I read the first paragraph. If I like the first paragraph, I read all of page #1, and if I read all of page #1, I buy the book.
Readers want to keep on reading books that begin with a reader hook because it keeps them interested.
1. Example (Strong hook based on an event)
For several minutes he'd been watching her, standing there on the high bridge. Suddenly, she just leaned forward and jumped off into the icy water.
2. Example (Hook based on dialogue)
"Why did you lie to me, Sally?" Tom demanded.
3. Example (Weak hook based on setting)
To the east, the sun pushed its way from behind the rocky mountain, dusting the dawn with orange paint. A chilling wind, whistling down the valley below, but it didn't seem to notice.
My Questions. Your Answers:
A. Why is example one a strong hook? What is it about it that makes you want to read more?
B. Why is example two a strong hook? What is it about it that makes you want to read more?
C. Why is example three a weak hook?
Please send your answers to these questions as a comment to this column. I will announce the names of those that got them all right next week and explain more.
7. What is a plot? .
A plot is the skeleton of a piece of fiction.
8. What is conflict?
In fiction there are always two opposing sides. The two sides war against each other, resulting in conflict for the characters in that story. In a short story, those two sides could be something as simple as Tommy’s wishes as opposed to his mother’s rules. In a novel, conflict could be described as the good guys on one side and the bad guys on the other.
9. How is conflict related to fiction goals?
Each of those opposing sides just mentioned have conflicting goals. For example, the Jones family own land, and their goal are to keep their land. The Browns want the land belonging to the Jones family, and their goal is to take the land away from the Jones family.
10. What is meant by a story’s major conflict?
In fiction, there are often many problems and conflicts, but there is only one major conflict. The major conflict is the one, big problem the two sides are really fighting over. Land was the major conflict between the two families above.
11. How should the reader be informed of the fiction goals mentioned above?
In fiction, the opposing goals of the two sides should be stated clearing in the manuscript by the main character either in the dialogue or in the narrative.
12. What is the difference between a character’s stated goal and a character’s true goal?
A stated goal is what a particular character says that he or she wants. A true goal is what a particular character really wants. The two goals may not always be the same.
Example:
Starlet’s true goal in Gone with the Wind was to keep her plantation, Tara. To Scarlet, Tara represented love and security. However, at first she said she wanted Ashley.
See you again next week.
Molly
by Molly Noble Bull
Since I don’t know the writing background of those who will be reading these lessons on fiction writing, I am starting at the very beginning. For me, that means Dwight Swain because in my opinion, his book Techniques of the Selling Writer is the best of the best. This lesson is easy, but they will get harder as we move along.
I have included three discussion questions. Please take part in these discussions (My Questions. Your Answers) by commenting on this lesson.
Molly Noble Bull
www.mollynoblebull.com
Questions and Answers
1. What is a story?
Dwight Swain, author of Techniques Of The Selling Writer, (University of Oklahoma Press) says a story is never about anything. Instead, a story is someone's reaction to what happened. A story is how someone deals with danger.
2. What is danger?
Danger in a story is change. When any given situation is altered, the results are a different situation.
Example:
At the beginning of Gone With The Wind, Scarlet had Tara, her land. She thought she also had Ashley. But her situation changed, giving her the goal of trying to get back Tara and Ashley. Events changed her situation, causing her to develop new goals.
3. Why do readers read fiction?
Readers read fiction because it creates a pleasurable state of tension and escape for them.
4. What is reader tension?
Reader tension is the desire to know, immediately, what will happen next to the characters in the story.
5. What is a hook?
A hook is a writing device designed to catch, hold, sustain or pull the reader along from sentence one to the end of the story or book.
6. Why is a beginning hook important in fiction?
When I go into a bookstore to buy a book, I read the first line on page # 1. If the first line pulls me into the story and makes me want to read more, I read the first paragraph. If I like the first paragraph, I read all of page #1, and if I read all of page #1, I buy the book.
Readers want to keep on reading books that begin with a reader hook because it keeps them interested.
1. Example (Strong hook based on an event)
For several minutes he'd been watching her, standing there on the high bridge. Suddenly, she just leaned forward and jumped off into the icy water.
2. Example (Hook based on dialogue)
"Why did you lie to me, Sally?" Tom demanded.
3. Example (Weak hook based on setting)
To the east, the sun pushed its way from behind the rocky mountain, dusting the dawn with orange paint. A chilling wind, whistling down the valley below, but it didn't seem to notice.
My Questions. Your Answers:
A. Why is example one a strong hook? What is it about it that makes you want to read more?
B. Why is example two a strong hook? What is it about it that makes you want to read more?
C. Why is example three a weak hook?
Please send your answers to these questions as a comment to this column. I will announce the names of those that got them all right next week and explain more.
7. What is a plot? .
A plot is the skeleton of a piece of fiction.
8. What is conflict?
In fiction there are always two opposing sides. The two sides war against each other, resulting in conflict for the characters in that story. In a short story, those two sides could be something as simple as Tommy’s wishes as opposed to his mother’s rules. In a novel, conflict could be described as the good guys on one side and the bad guys on the other.
9. How is conflict related to fiction goals?
Each of those opposing sides just mentioned have conflicting goals. For example, the Jones family own land, and their goal are to keep their land. The Browns want the land belonging to the Jones family, and their goal is to take the land away from the Jones family.
10. What is meant by a story’s major conflict?
In fiction, there are often many problems and conflicts, but there is only one major conflict. The major conflict is the one, big problem the two sides are really fighting over. Land was the major conflict between the two families above.
11. How should the reader be informed of the fiction goals mentioned above?
In fiction, the opposing goals of the two sides should be stated clearing in the manuscript by the main character either in the dialogue or in the narrative.
12. What is the difference between a character’s stated goal and a character’s true goal?
A stated goal is what a particular character says that he or she wants. A true goal is what a particular character really wants. The two goals may not always be the same.
Example:
Starlet’s true goal in Gone with the Wind was to keep her plantation, Tara. To Scarlet, Tara represented love and security. However, at first she said she wanted Ashley.
See you again next week.
Molly
Fiction Writing 101: Lesson # 2
Hooks, Description, Viewpoint and Synopsis
By
Molly Noble Bull
www.mollynoblebull.com
This lesson and future lessons include assignments, but obviously, they cannot all be graded here. On your own, complete as many of the assignments as you can, and if you would like, share one short answer each time by clicking comment. One comment per lesson, please.
www.mollynoblebull.com
Here are some examples of beginning hooks from my novels.
She’d seen him again.
(The first line from The Rogue’s Daughter by Molly Noble Bull. Zondervan 1986)
It was now or never.
(The first line from Brides and Blessings by Molly Noble Bull. Love Inspired 1999.)
I’m not one to go without a woman for long, missy.
(The first line from The Winter Pearl by Molly Noble Bull. Steeple Hill 2004 & 2007)
Death to Jews, she read. Death to all Huguenots.
(The first line of Sanctuary by Molly Noble Bull. Tsaba House September 2007)
Question: Do any or all of these beginning hooks capture your interest? If so, tell why. If no, tell why not.
Today, read settings A. and B. below. Then choose the setting you like best.
A. To the east, the sun pushed its way from behind the rocky mountain, dusting the dawn with orange paint. A chilling wind whistled down to the valley below.
B. Joe Travis peered up at the sun as it pushed its way from behind the rocky mountain, and he felt the chill of a whistling wind. Laurel would say that God was dusting the dawn with orange paint. All Joe knew was that he wanted to reach the valley below and home as soon as possible.
Point of View: called POV
Point of view (POV) merely indicates from whose mind and body the story originates at a particular time in the story. We call this person the POV character. Who is the point of view character in Setting B?
In fiction, a beginning hook is often used to capture the interest of the reader. Setting A. is an example of description, but it is not an example of a beginning hook. Dwight Swain (Techniques of the Selling Writer) would say that Setting A. is like a picture on a wall or a painting. Setting A. does not move. Therefore, it appears almost lifeless.
Setting B. is an example a picture that moves or a moving picture. Always describe moving pictures by having your characters move through your settings rather than merely observing them.
Question:
Does Setting B capture your interest? If so, is it a beginning hook? If not, how could Setting B become a beginning hook? Rewrite Setting B., turning it into a beginning hook.
ASSIGNMENTS:
Select a landscape picture from a magazine. Describe your picture in one short paragraph like I described the setting in example A.
Select a picture of a person or an animal from a magazine. Briefly, describe the person or animal you selected as you might describe a character in a novel.
Write a third short paragraph, placing your character in the landscape setting you wrote in your first paragraph.
NOTE: A character in a story setting need not be a human being. Your character could be an animal, an alien, whatever.
The Synopsis:
The synopsis of a fiction novel is a short overview of the entire book that tells what the story is about, a little about the characters and a little about the plot. A synopsis should always be written in the third person, present. Below is an example of a fairy tale—first written in the third person past and then in the third person present.
Third Person Past:
Poor and orphaned Cinderella thought she was in heaven when her fairy godmother arrived and provided her with a new gown, a coach and footmen so she could attend the ball at the king’s palace and meet the prince, but her joy soon turned to embarrassment when at midnight her dress turned to rags and her coach and footmen disappeared.
Third Person Present:
Poor and orphaned Cinderella thinks she is in heaven when her fairy godmother arrives and provides her with a new gown, a coach and footmen so she can attend the ball at the king’s palace and meet the prince, but her joy soon turns to embarrassment when at midnight her dress turns to rags and her coach and footmen disappear.
ASSIGNMENTS:
Write the plot of a fairy tale or favorite story in one paragraph as I did, using the third person past.
Write the paragraph again, using the third person present.
# # #
Two of my two long Christian historical novels are listed below—Sanctuary and The Winter Pearl. If you click on each of them, you can read about Sanctuary and The Winter Pearl, read free excerpts from these novels, read my bio and click to read discussions questions.
Sanctuary
http://www.christianbook.com/Christian/Books/product?item_no=853505&event=CF
The Winter Pearl
http://www.christianbook.com/Christian/Books/product?item_no=86115&netp_id=464629&event=ESRCN&item_code=WW&view=details
That’s all for today. See you next Wednesday.
Molly Noble Bull
By
Molly Noble Bull
www.mollynoblebull.com
This lesson and future lessons include assignments, but obviously, they cannot all be graded here. On your own, complete as many of the assignments as you can, and if you would like, share one short answer each time by clicking comment. One comment per lesson, please.
www.mollynoblebull.com
Here are some examples of beginning hooks from my novels.
She’d seen him again.
(The first line from The Rogue’s Daughter by Molly Noble Bull. Zondervan 1986)
It was now or never.
(The first line from Brides and Blessings by Molly Noble Bull. Love Inspired 1999.)
I’m not one to go without a woman for long, missy.
(The first line from The Winter Pearl by Molly Noble Bull. Steeple Hill 2004 & 2007)
Death to Jews, she read. Death to all Huguenots.
(The first line of Sanctuary by Molly Noble Bull. Tsaba House September 2007)
Question: Do any or all of these beginning hooks capture your interest? If so, tell why. If no, tell why not.
Today, read settings A. and B. below. Then choose the setting you like best.
A. To the east, the sun pushed its way from behind the rocky mountain, dusting the dawn with orange paint. A chilling wind whistled down to the valley below.
B. Joe Travis peered up at the sun as it pushed its way from behind the rocky mountain, and he felt the chill of a whistling wind. Laurel would say that God was dusting the dawn with orange paint. All Joe knew was that he wanted to reach the valley below and home as soon as possible.
Point of View: called POV
Point of view (POV) merely indicates from whose mind and body the story originates at a particular time in the story. We call this person the POV character. Who is the point of view character in Setting B?
In fiction, a beginning hook is often used to capture the interest of the reader. Setting A. is an example of description, but it is not an example of a beginning hook. Dwight Swain (Techniques of the Selling Writer) would say that Setting A. is like a picture on a wall or a painting. Setting A. does not move. Therefore, it appears almost lifeless.
Setting B. is an example a picture that moves or a moving picture. Always describe moving pictures by having your characters move through your settings rather than merely observing them.
Question:
Does Setting B capture your interest? If so, is it a beginning hook? If not, how could Setting B become a beginning hook? Rewrite Setting B., turning it into a beginning hook.
ASSIGNMENTS:
Select a landscape picture from a magazine. Describe your picture in one short paragraph like I described the setting in example A.
Select a picture of a person or an animal from a magazine. Briefly, describe the person or animal you selected as you might describe a character in a novel.
Write a third short paragraph, placing your character in the landscape setting you wrote in your first paragraph.
NOTE: A character in a story setting need not be a human being. Your character could be an animal, an alien, whatever.
The Synopsis:
The synopsis of a fiction novel is a short overview of the entire book that tells what the story is about, a little about the characters and a little about the plot. A synopsis should always be written in the third person, present. Below is an example of a fairy tale—first written in the third person past and then in the third person present.
Third Person Past:
Poor and orphaned Cinderella thought she was in heaven when her fairy godmother arrived and provided her with a new gown, a coach and footmen so she could attend the ball at the king’s palace and meet the prince, but her joy soon turned to embarrassment when at midnight her dress turned to rags and her coach and footmen disappeared.
Third Person Present:
Poor and orphaned Cinderella thinks she is in heaven when her fairy godmother arrives and provides her with a new gown, a coach and footmen so she can attend the ball at the king’s palace and meet the prince, but her joy soon turns to embarrassment when at midnight her dress turns to rags and her coach and footmen disappear.
ASSIGNMENTS:
Write the plot of a fairy tale or favorite story in one paragraph as I did, using the third person past.
Write the paragraph again, using the third person present.
# # #
Two of my two long Christian historical novels are listed below—Sanctuary and The Winter Pearl. If you click on each of them, you can read about Sanctuary and The Winter Pearl, read free excerpts from these novels, read my bio and click to read discussions questions.
Sanctuary
http://www.christianbook.com/Christian/Books/product?item_no=853505&event=CF
The Winter Pearl
http://www.christianbook.com/Christian/Books/product?item_no=86115&netp_id=464629&event=ESRCN&item_code=WW&view=details
That’s all for today. See you next Wednesday.
Molly Noble Bull
Fiction Writer 101: Lesson # 3
Scenes
by Molly Noble Bull
www.mollynoblebull.com
(Part of this lesson came from Techniques of the Selling Writer by Dwight Swain.)
QUESTIONS:
Q: What is narrative writing? Also called narration?
A: Narrative writing is telling more than showing.
Example: [Once upon a time there were three little pigs.]
Q: WHAT IS A SCENE?
A: A scene is that part of a chapter, book or story that takes place as it happens, second by second, and gives the reader the feeling of actually being there. While narrative writing “tells,” a scene must “show.”
One way a scene shows rather than tells is by the use of dialogue. Example of dialogue:
[Three small pigs sat huddled together under a bridge, shivering and squealing from the rain and cold.
“I don’t know about you guys,” the first one said. “But I’m building me a house. I’ve had enough of being cold all the time.”
“What will you build it out of?” the second pig asked.
“Sticks. What else?”]
Dialogue is always enclosed in quotation marks.
How are you would like this when written in dialogue.
“How are you?”
How are you, he asked, would look like this.
“How are you?” he asked.
I am fine, she replied—would look like this.
“I am fine,” she replied.
Q: WHAT ARE THE ELEMENTS OF A SCENE?
A: Goal
Conflict
Disaster
Q: WHAT COMES IMMEDIATELY AFTER A SCENE?
A: A sequel or a transition should follow a scene.
Q: WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF A SEQUEL?
A: A sequel comes immediately after a scene, giving the main character the opportunity to reflect on what just happened in the story. A sequel also proves the reader with the opportunity to rest before going on to another scene.
Q: WHAT ARE THE ELEMENTS OF A SEQUEL?
A: Reaction
Dilemma
Decision
Q: HOW LONG SHOULD A SCENE BE?
A: There are no strict answers, but I think a well-developed scene for an adult novel should contain from three to five typed, double-spaced pages. Scenes written for children and young people are shorter.
Q: HOW MANY SCENES SHOULD BE PUT IN A TWENTY-PAGE CHAPTER?
A: It depends on the type of book, but about three or less is about average.
Q: HOW SHOULD A SCENE BEGIN?
A: A scene should begin with a hook to capture reader interest. It should also begin with a setting to let the reader know where the action is taking place.
First settings should be fairly detailed whether introducing the reader to a new story or a new scene or the main character. After a particular setting has been well established, transitional phrases like the ones mentioned below can be substituted for more detailed settings. The purpose for both settings and transitions are to inform the reader as to where the action is taking place and to move the action to another location.
Q: Name some transitional phrases.
A: Three hours later---
When they arrived at ---
At the fair grounds, --
One year later ---
Q: HOW CAN I KNOW I'M READING OR WRITING A SCENE?
A: You will know you are reading or writing a scene if it contains a second by second account of an event and contains all three elements all scenes must have.
GOAL
CONFLICT
and ends in DISASTER for the main character.
ASSIGNMENT: Buy some index cards and a black marker. Prepare to write information on those cards and tack that information above your keyboard. It will really help.
What to write on the cards.
CARD ONE: Elements of a Scene
Goal
Conflict
Disaster
CARD TWO: Elements of a Sequel
Reaction
Dilemma
Decision
Not all scenes contain dialogue. We will discuss that in future lessons. We will also talk more about the elements of a scene and the elements of a sequel.
ASSIGNMENT #2:
Below is a scene from my newest novel, Sanctuary. Who is the point of view character in this scene?
This scene begins with a goal for the main character, contains conflict and ends in disaster for the main character.
Tell in one sentence what the goal of this scene is. In your second sentence, describe the conflict in the scene. Finally, write a third sentences and tell how the scene ended in disaster for the main character. Then click comment and post your answers.
SANCTUARY
First in the Faith of our Fathers series
Molly Noble Bull
Chapter One
Benoit, France
1740
“You do as you wish, Louis,” Pierre Dupre said to his brother. “But after the long walk from Paris, I want to stop and rest before going home. Mama and Henri will want to hear all about our journey, and I would like to get some sleep before I start telling our little brother tales of our adventures.”
“Could it be that my big brother is tired?” Louis asked with a twinkle in his eye.
“Yes.” Pierre yawned. “I admit it.” He stretched his tired muscles and yawned again.
Louis threw back his head and laughed. “Sleep if you want. I intend to pay Rachel’s parents a visit before going home. I plan to ask their permission to marry her.”
“Is it not a bit late to be making such a request? We sail in two weeks and you said you would marry Rachel aboard ship, yet you barely know her parents. They might resent the fact that you failed to step forward with your proposal sooner.”
“I will ask their forgiveness for the delay, of course. And I will also encourage them to sail to England with us. I fear Rachel will refuse to go at the last minute if we leave her mother and father behind.”
“Rachel is strong-willed and unpredictable,” Pierre said. “And she is always jumping to conclusions. However, she is also a good and faithful daughter. Were I wearing your shoes, Louis, I would have fears as well.”
They stood in front of the small stone cottage where Rachel and her parents lived. They hadn’t slept much since heading home. On the previous night, they seldom stopped to rest. Pierre doubted that Rachel’s parents would welcome his brother into their home after they discovered why he came, and he had no desire to hear her mother and father scold Louis for his tardiness.
Pierre noticed a large tree surrounded by bushes a short distance away. “I will wait for you under that tree. It will be cool and shady there.”
“As you wish.” Louis smiled. “And sleep well, brother. I will not be long.”
Pierre watched Louis walk up to the front door of the cottage and knock. He found a grassy spot under the tree. With his brown jacket as a pillow, he stretched out and went to sleep.
Pierre awoke to the rumble of horses’ hooves and men shouting. He crawled on his belly to a bushy area near the edge of the tall grass. A young captain in the king’s army kicked down the door of Rachel’s house. Soldiers swarmed inside.
He’d defended his younger brother for as long as he could remember and often fought his battles for him. But he saw at least thirty armed men and he with no weapons. Pierre wanted to hang his head in shame because he couldn’t do anything to help.
“Please, we are innocent!” he heard Louis shout out from inside the house.
Shattered, Pierre covered his mouth with his hands to keep from calling out in anger and despair.
“No!” he heard Rachel’s mother say. “Have mercy! Please!”
Tears filled the corners of his eyes as Pierre heard more shouting, screams, and then silence.
“No. No!”
“Take the trunk outside!” the captain shouted to his men.
As they dragged a trunk out the front door of the house, the captain stood on the lawn outside. Sunlight glinted on the metal buckle of his jacket. The shiny object mesmerized a shocked Pierre as the other soldiers brought out furniture, clothes, and other items.
A thin soldier came out wearing a blue dress that must have belonged to Rachel’s mother. He paraded around in it, swinging his hips and making distasteful gestures. Laughter echoed all around the soldier in the dress.
Pierre fought nausea.
The captain opened the trunk, spilling its contents on the ground. Letters and papers blew here and there. The captain picked up a candlestick. The metal caught the afternoon sun, sparkling brighter than the buckle. From a distance, Pierre couldn’t tell for sure but thought it might have been made of gold.
The expensive-looking object would hold half a dozen candles or more. He’d never seen a design quite like it.
The captain waved the candlestick in the air for all to see.
“This is a Menorah and can only belong to a Jew. It proves the people who lived in that house were Jews!”
The rest of the men gathered around the captain, looking at the candlestick. When they tried to touch it, the captain jerked it out of their reach.
“Two Huguenots from this village conspired against the government of France. We only found one. We must find the other man and the rest of the Jews and kill them.”
The captain raised the Menorah in the air as though it were a kind of battle flag. “I shall not rest until the deed is done! Now, gather up all the papers and anything else you think I might want later.”
As the soldiers began doing as they were told, the captain leaned over and picked up something from the ground. Pierre thought it looked about the size and shape of a small wooden frame. The captain pulled a white cloth from his pocket, wiped off the object, gazed at it for a long moment and tucked it inside his jacket.
“Burn this house to the ground,” the captain demanded, “as a warning to all Jews and Huguenots!”
by Molly Noble Bull
www.mollynoblebull.com
(Part of this lesson came from Techniques of the Selling Writer by Dwight Swain.)
QUESTIONS:
Q: What is narrative writing? Also called narration?
A: Narrative writing is telling more than showing.
Example: [Once upon a time there were three little pigs.]
Q: WHAT IS A SCENE?
A: A scene is that part of a chapter, book or story that takes place as it happens, second by second, and gives the reader the feeling of actually being there. While narrative writing “tells,” a scene must “show.”
One way a scene shows rather than tells is by the use of dialogue. Example of dialogue:
[Three small pigs sat huddled together under a bridge, shivering and squealing from the rain and cold.
“I don’t know about you guys,” the first one said. “But I’m building me a house. I’ve had enough of being cold all the time.”
“What will you build it out of?” the second pig asked.
“Sticks. What else?”]
Dialogue is always enclosed in quotation marks.
How are you would like this when written in dialogue.
“How are you?”
How are you, he asked, would look like this.
“How are you?” he asked.
I am fine, she replied—would look like this.
“I am fine,” she replied.
Q: WHAT ARE THE ELEMENTS OF A SCENE?
A: Goal
Conflict
Disaster
Q: WHAT COMES IMMEDIATELY AFTER A SCENE?
A: A sequel or a transition should follow a scene.
Q: WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF A SEQUEL?
A: A sequel comes immediately after a scene, giving the main character the opportunity to reflect on what just happened in the story. A sequel also proves the reader with the opportunity to rest before going on to another scene.
Q: WHAT ARE THE ELEMENTS OF A SEQUEL?
A: Reaction
Dilemma
Decision
Q: HOW LONG SHOULD A SCENE BE?
A: There are no strict answers, but I think a well-developed scene for an adult novel should contain from three to five typed, double-spaced pages. Scenes written for children and young people are shorter.
Q: HOW MANY SCENES SHOULD BE PUT IN A TWENTY-PAGE CHAPTER?
A: It depends on the type of book, but about three or less is about average.
Q: HOW SHOULD A SCENE BEGIN?
A: A scene should begin with a hook to capture reader interest. It should also begin with a setting to let the reader know where the action is taking place.
First settings should be fairly detailed whether introducing the reader to a new story or a new scene or the main character. After a particular setting has been well established, transitional phrases like the ones mentioned below can be substituted for more detailed settings. The purpose for both settings and transitions are to inform the reader as to where the action is taking place and to move the action to another location.
Q: Name some transitional phrases.
A: Three hours later---
When they arrived at ---
At the fair grounds, --
One year later ---
Q: HOW CAN I KNOW I'M READING OR WRITING A SCENE?
A: You will know you are reading or writing a scene if it contains a second by second account of an event and contains all three elements all scenes must have.
GOAL
CONFLICT
and ends in DISASTER for the main character.
ASSIGNMENT: Buy some index cards and a black marker. Prepare to write information on those cards and tack that information above your keyboard. It will really help.
What to write on the cards.
CARD ONE: Elements of a Scene
Goal
Conflict
Disaster
CARD TWO: Elements of a Sequel
Reaction
Dilemma
Decision
Not all scenes contain dialogue. We will discuss that in future lessons. We will also talk more about the elements of a scene and the elements of a sequel.
ASSIGNMENT #2:
Below is a scene from my newest novel, Sanctuary. Who is the point of view character in this scene?
This scene begins with a goal for the main character, contains conflict and ends in disaster for the main character.
Tell in one sentence what the goal of this scene is. In your second sentence, describe the conflict in the scene. Finally, write a third sentences and tell how the scene ended in disaster for the main character. Then click comment and post your answers.
SANCTUARY
First in the Faith of our Fathers series
Molly Noble Bull
Chapter One
Benoit, France
1740
“You do as you wish, Louis,” Pierre Dupre said to his brother. “But after the long walk from Paris, I want to stop and rest before going home. Mama and Henri will want to hear all about our journey, and I would like to get some sleep before I start telling our little brother tales of our adventures.”
“Could it be that my big brother is tired?” Louis asked with a twinkle in his eye.
“Yes.” Pierre yawned. “I admit it.” He stretched his tired muscles and yawned again.
Louis threw back his head and laughed. “Sleep if you want. I intend to pay Rachel’s parents a visit before going home. I plan to ask their permission to marry her.”
“Is it not a bit late to be making such a request? We sail in two weeks and you said you would marry Rachel aboard ship, yet you barely know her parents. They might resent the fact that you failed to step forward with your proposal sooner.”
“I will ask their forgiveness for the delay, of course. And I will also encourage them to sail to England with us. I fear Rachel will refuse to go at the last minute if we leave her mother and father behind.”
“Rachel is strong-willed and unpredictable,” Pierre said. “And she is always jumping to conclusions. However, she is also a good and faithful daughter. Were I wearing your shoes, Louis, I would have fears as well.”
They stood in front of the small stone cottage where Rachel and her parents lived. They hadn’t slept much since heading home. On the previous night, they seldom stopped to rest. Pierre doubted that Rachel’s parents would welcome his brother into their home after they discovered why he came, and he had no desire to hear her mother and father scold Louis for his tardiness.
Pierre noticed a large tree surrounded by bushes a short distance away. “I will wait for you under that tree. It will be cool and shady there.”
“As you wish.” Louis smiled. “And sleep well, brother. I will not be long.”
Pierre watched Louis walk up to the front door of the cottage and knock. He found a grassy spot under the tree. With his brown jacket as a pillow, he stretched out and went to sleep.
Pierre awoke to the rumble of horses’ hooves and men shouting. He crawled on his belly to a bushy area near the edge of the tall grass. A young captain in the king’s army kicked down the door of Rachel’s house. Soldiers swarmed inside.
He’d defended his younger brother for as long as he could remember and often fought his battles for him. But he saw at least thirty armed men and he with no weapons. Pierre wanted to hang his head in shame because he couldn’t do anything to help.
“Please, we are innocent!” he heard Louis shout out from inside the house.
Shattered, Pierre covered his mouth with his hands to keep from calling out in anger and despair.
“No!” he heard Rachel’s mother say. “Have mercy! Please!”
Tears filled the corners of his eyes as Pierre heard more shouting, screams, and then silence.
“No. No!”
“Take the trunk outside!” the captain shouted to his men.
As they dragged a trunk out the front door of the house, the captain stood on the lawn outside. Sunlight glinted on the metal buckle of his jacket. The shiny object mesmerized a shocked Pierre as the other soldiers brought out furniture, clothes, and other items.
A thin soldier came out wearing a blue dress that must have belonged to Rachel’s mother. He paraded around in it, swinging his hips and making distasteful gestures. Laughter echoed all around the soldier in the dress.
Pierre fought nausea.
The captain opened the trunk, spilling its contents on the ground. Letters and papers blew here and there. The captain picked up a candlestick. The metal caught the afternoon sun, sparkling brighter than the buckle. From a distance, Pierre couldn’t tell for sure but thought it might have been made of gold.
The expensive-looking object would hold half a dozen candles or more. He’d never seen a design quite like it.
The captain waved the candlestick in the air for all to see.
“This is a Menorah and can only belong to a Jew. It proves the people who lived in that house were Jews!”
The rest of the men gathered around the captain, looking at the candlestick. When they tried to touch it, the captain jerked it out of their reach.
“Two Huguenots from this village conspired against the government of France. We only found one. We must find the other man and the rest of the Jews and kill them.”
The captain raised the Menorah in the air as though it were a kind of battle flag. “I shall not rest until the deed is done! Now, gather up all the papers and anything else you think I might want later.”
As the soldiers began doing as they were told, the captain leaned over and picked up something from the ground. Pierre thought it looked about the size and shape of a small wooden frame. The captain pulled a white cloth from his pocket, wiped off the object, gazed at it for a long moment and tucked it inside his jacket.
“Burn this house to the ground,” the captain demanded, “as a warning to all Jews and Huguenots!”
Fiction Writing 101: Lesson # 4
Scenes and Putting Actions and Emotions in Dialogue
by Molly Noble Bull
www.mollynoblebull.com
In lesson # 3, we learned that a scene must end in disaster for the viewpoint character. But in fiction, a disaster doesn’t always mean a person died or the main character lost a fistfight. In a scene, a disaster simply means that the viewpoint character didn’t reach his or her goal for that scene.
Let us say that the teenage viewpoint character has a date with the cutest boy in school, and her goal in chapter one is to catch the bus on the corner and meet the hero at the football game. But she misses the last bus out. (Disaster)
More about scenes will appear in future chapters.
A couple of lessons ago, we learned that narration or narrative writing tells, like “Once upon a time there were three little pigs.” We also learned that dialogue shows and that a scene was that part of a chapter, book or story that takes place as it happened, second by second.
Scenes give the reader the feeling of actually being there.
Scenes can also describe emotions like being happy.
Examples.
“She was happy” is telling, and good writers don’t tell they show.
“She smiled” is showing, and good writers show their characters saying something or doing something.
Not all dialogues contain the words “he said” or “she said.” There is something better.
Good writers often substitute a sentence that contains action for “he said” or “she said.”
Examples:
“I’ll get it,” he said. (Okay)
“I’ll get it.” He raced to the door and opened it. (Better)
“I don’t understand,” she said. (Okay)
She shook her head. “I don’t understand.” (Better)
Here are some sentences that tell. Think of action words that show those same emotions and actions and write them in your sentences.
I will do the first two to get you started. Then you do the rest. Replace every “was” sentence or phrase with a sentence that contains action words, and remember, there can be many possible answers. I would like for you to get in the habit of actually acting out these emotion as if you were a character in a play or movie before writing them down on paper.
Examples.
After hearing the news, he was sad. (telling)
He dropped his head, frowned and his shoulders slumped. (showing)
She nodded. (showing the word yes instead of saying it)
Show a character doing these things by their actions.
Write a non-verbal “no” that shows.
Answer: She shook her head.
He was thirsty.
(He was thirsty is telling. But when you describe him being thirsty by his actions, that’s showing. Describe him being thirsty. Then do the same thing with the rest of the examples below. )
Roger was disappointed.
Susan was also disappointed.
Nancy was hungry.
Judy was sick to her stomach.
Bob had a headache.
Mary was tired.
Jim was nervous.
Alice went inside.
Roger’s tooth hurt.
Susan’s arm itched.
George’s joke was very funny.
Lucy was very unhappy.
Jason liked to ride his horse.
He hated to do homework.
Sally liked to help mom in the kitchen.
Brenda was frightened of Pete’s dog.
Using as many of the telling sentences above as you like, write short dialogues. You will need at least three lines of dialogue and one action sentence for each. Below are two examples. Number your examples as I did below. Post no more than one of your answers below, and I will comment on it.
Example 1:
“I’m sorry, Roger,” the teacher said. “You failed the math test.”
“May I take it again, ma’am? You let me the last time.”
“No. You can’t. I have to turn in my semester grades in thirty minutes.”
He dropped his head, frowned and his shoulders slumped.
Example 2:
“Are you packed and ready to go camping, Susan?” her mother asked.
Susan glanced at the floor. “Yes, ma’am.”
“Well, you don’t look very excited about the trip. Is something wrong?”
She nodded. “My friend Mary has the chicken pox, and I just found a spot under my bangs.”
See you next time.
Love,
Molly Noble Bull
by Molly Noble Bull
www.mollynoblebull.com
In lesson # 3, we learned that a scene must end in disaster for the viewpoint character. But in fiction, a disaster doesn’t always mean a person died or the main character lost a fistfight. In a scene, a disaster simply means that the viewpoint character didn’t reach his or her goal for that scene.
Let us say that the teenage viewpoint character has a date with the cutest boy in school, and her goal in chapter one is to catch the bus on the corner and meet the hero at the football game. But she misses the last bus out. (Disaster)
More about scenes will appear in future chapters.
A couple of lessons ago, we learned that narration or narrative writing tells, like “Once upon a time there were three little pigs.” We also learned that dialogue shows and that a scene was that part of a chapter, book or story that takes place as it happened, second by second.
Scenes give the reader the feeling of actually being there.
Scenes can also describe emotions like being happy.
Examples.
“She was happy” is telling, and good writers don’t tell they show.
“She smiled” is showing, and good writers show their characters saying something or doing something.
Not all dialogues contain the words “he said” or “she said.” There is something better.
Good writers often substitute a sentence that contains action for “he said” or “she said.”
Examples:
“I’ll get it,” he said. (Okay)
“I’ll get it.” He raced to the door and opened it. (Better)
“I don’t understand,” she said. (Okay)
She shook her head. “I don’t understand.” (Better)
Here are some sentences that tell. Think of action words that show those same emotions and actions and write them in your sentences.
I will do the first two to get you started. Then you do the rest. Replace every “was” sentence or phrase with a sentence that contains action words, and remember, there can be many possible answers. I would like for you to get in the habit of actually acting out these emotion as if you were a character in a play or movie before writing them down on paper.
Examples.
After hearing the news, he was sad. (telling)
He dropped his head, frowned and his shoulders slumped. (showing)
She nodded. (showing the word yes instead of saying it)
Show a character doing these things by their actions.
Write a non-verbal “no” that shows.
Answer: She shook her head.
He was thirsty.
(He was thirsty is telling. But when you describe him being thirsty by his actions, that’s showing. Describe him being thirsty. Then do the same thing with the rest of the examples below. )
Roger was disappointed.
Susan was also disappointed.
Nancy was hungry.
Judy was sick to her stomach.
Bob had a headache.
Mary was tired.
Jim was nervous.
Alice went inside.
Roger’s tooth hurt.
Susan’s arm itched.
George’s joke was very funny.
Lucy was very unhappy.
Jason liked to ride his horse.
He hated to do homework.
Sally liked to help mom in the kitchen.
Brenda was frightened of Pete’s dog.
Using as many of the telling sentences above as you like, write short dialogues. You will need at least three lines of dialogue and one action sentence for each. Below are two examples. Number your examples as I did below. Post no more than one of your answers below, and I will comment on it.
Example 1:
“I’m sorry, Roger,” the teacher said. “You failed the math test.”
“May I take it again, ma’am? You let me the last time.”
“No. You can’t. I have to turn in my semester grades in thirty minutes.”
He dropped his head, frowned and his shoulders slumped.
Example 2:
“Are you packed and ready to go camping, Susan?” her mother asked.
Susan glanced at the floor. “Yes, ma’am.”
“Well, you don’t look very excited about the trip. Is something wrong?”
She nodded. “My friend Mary has the chicken pox, and I just found a spot under my bangs.”
See you next time.
Love,
Molly Noble Bull
Fiction Writing 101: Lesson # 5
Fiction Writing 101: Lesson #5
Scenes and How to Find Them In Novels
by Molly Noble Bull
www.mollynoblebull.com
Whether a scene contains dialogue or is a pure action scene where nobody talks, a scene must contain the three elements listed below to be a scene at all. If a paragraph or a group of paragraphs does not contain the three elements, it is not a scene but what we call an incident. To be able to identify a scene when you see one, you must first know the three elements that all scenes must have.
Review: What are the elements of a scene?
Goal
Conflict
Disaster
Goals Defined:
A scene goal is whatever the main character in that scene wants to have or to accomplish. Dwight Swain says that well thought-out goals are something physical that you can take a picture of with a camera.
For example, you can take a picture of a plate with Mexican food on it. But you can’t take a picture of being hungry. So, the character goal in this scene must include the main character’s desire for Mom’s Mexican food.
A goal like that might be written this way.
Jim could practically smell as well as taste tacos, Spanish rice and refried beans as he hurried down the concrete steps of the school building. Today was Tuesday, and Mom always cooked Mexican food on Tuesday night.
From this, we can conclude that Jim’s goal is a plate of Mexican food for supper.
Other Examples :
A goal for one character in a scene might be to reach home safely during a thunderstorm.
The goal in another scene might be to steal a cookie from a cookie jar.
The goal of a young girl might be to become a cheerleader.
For a boy, a goal might be to make the football team or win first place at the science fair.
Conflict Defined:
In a novel, conflict is the element that keeps the main character from reaching his or her goal, and this element can be a person, an animal, an object or a situation.
Here is an example of a story conflict:
Goal: Jim could practically smell as well as taste tacos, Spanish rice and refried beans as he hurried down the concrete steps of the school building. Today was Tuesday, and Mom always cooked Mexican food on Tuesday night.
Conflict: But when he arrived home, he saw his mother in the car and driving away. She didn’t even see him.
From this narrative, you can see that Jim might not reach his goal of a Mexican supper because there is a conflict. Mom is driving away instead of in the kitchen cooking Mexican food.
Disaster Defined:
In a scene, the disaster proves that the main character was unable to resolve the conflict and was therefore unable to reach his or her scene goal, and to be a scene at all, every scene must end in disaster for the main character. However, not all scene disasters include a death, a hurricane or the bad guys killing the good guys. A disaster for the main character would merely mean that he or she didn’t reach his or her scene goal.
Example of a scene outline:
Goal: Mexican food for supper
Jim could practically smell as well as taste tacos, Spanish rice and refried beans as he hurried down the concrete steps of the school building. Today was Tuesday, and Mom always cooked Mexican food on Tuesday night.
Conflict: Mom is driving away
But when he arrived home, he saw his mother in the car and driving away. She didn’t even see him.
Maybe she forgot some of the fixings and went to the store to buy them, he thought.
Jim went into the house and headed straight for the kitchen, hoping to smell spicy food cooking.
Disaster: He will be eating tuna fish for supper
Instead, he found a note from his mom on the cabinet and propped up against the sugar bowl. The note stated that Mom had a school board meeting that night and that she’d almost forgotten about it. She left milk and a tune salad sandwich in the refrigerator for Jim’s supper.
Jim didn’t reach his goal of a Mexican supper; so for him, this was a disaster.
What I wrote above was incomplete. It was a scene outline. The finished produce might include what happened on the school steps and what happened on his way home from school. It could include dialogues.
Example:
“Hey Jim,” his friend Monty called. “Want to go over to my house and throw a few? I got a new football for my birthday, and I’ve been wanting to try it out.”
“Thanks. But I gotta get home. We’re having Mexican food tonight.”
Homework: Write one sentence for each as I did above—scene, conflict, disaster. Using your three sentences as an outline, write a scene or a short story that contains all three elements.
Molly Noble Bull
Scenes and How to Find Them In Novels
by Molly Noble Bull
www.mollynoblebull.com
Whether a scene contains dialogue or is a pure action scene where nobody talks, a scene must contain the three elements listed below to be a scene at all. If a paragraph or a group of paragraphs does not contain the three elements, it is not a scene but what we call an incident. To be able to identify a scene when you see one, you must first know the three elements that all scenes must have.
Review: What are the elements of a scene?
Goal
Conflict
Disaster
Goals Defined:
A scene goal is whatever the main character in that scene wants to have or to accomplish. Dwight Swain says that well thought-out goals are something physical that you can take a picture of with a camera.
For example, you can take a picture of a plate with Mexican food on it. But you can’t take a picture of being hungry. So, the character goal in this scene must include the main character’s desire for Mom’s Mexican food.
A goal like that might be written this way.
Jim could practically smell as well as taste tacos, Spanish rice and refried beans as he hurried down the concrete steps of the school building. Today was Tuesday, and Mom always cooked Mexican food on Tuesday night.
From this, we can conclude that Jim’s goal is a plate of Mexican food for supper.
Other Examples :
A goal for one character in a scene might be to reach home safely during a thunderstorm.
The goal in another scene might be to steal a cookie from a cookie jar.
The goal of a young girl might be to become a cheerleader.
For a boy, a goal might be to make the football team or win first place at the science fair.
Conflict Defined:
In a novel, conflict is the element that keeps the main character from reaching his or her goal, and this element can be a person, an animal, an object or a situation.
Here is an example of a story conflict:
Goal: Jim could practically smell as well as taste tacos, Spanish rice and refried beans as he hurried down the concrete steps of the school building. Today was Tuesday, and Mom always cooked Mexican food on Tuesday night.
Conflict: But when he arrived home, he saw his mother in the car and driving away. She didn’t even see him.
From this narrative, you can see that Jim might not reach his goal of a Mexican supper because there is a conflict. Mom is driving away instead of in the kitchen cooking Mexican food.
Disaster Defined:
In a scene, the disaster proves that the main character was unable to resolve the conflict and was therefore unable to reach his or her scene goal, and to be a scene at all, every scene must end in disaster for the main character. However, not all scene disasters include a death, a hurricane or the bad guys killing the good guys. A disaster for the main character would merely mean that he or she didn’t reach his or her scene goal.
Example of a scene outline:
Goal: Mexican food for supper
Jim could practically smell as well as taste tacos, Spanish rice and refried beans as he hurried down the concrete steps of the school building. Today was Tuesday, and Mom always cooked Mexican food on Tuesday night.
Conflict: Mom is driving away
But when he arrived home, he saw his mother in the car and driving away. She didn’t even see him.
Maybe she forgot some of the fixings and went to the store to buy them, he thought.
Jim went into the house and headed straight for the kitchen, hoping to smell spicy food cooking.
Disaster: He will be eating tuna fish for supper
Instead, he found a note from his mom on the cabinet and propped up against the sugar bowl. The note stated that Mom had a school board meeting that night and that she’d almost forgotten about it. She left milk and a tune salad sandwich in the refrigerator for Jim’s supper.
Jim didn’t reach his goal of a Mexican supper; so for him, this was a disaster.
What I wrote above was incomplete. It was a scene outline. The finished produce might include what happened on the school steps and what happened on his way home from school. It could include dialogues.
Example:
“Hey Jim,” his friend Monty called. “Want to go over to my house and throw a few? I got a new football for my birthday, and I’ve been wanting to try it out.”
“Thanks. But I gotta get home. We’re having Mexican food tonight.”
Homework: Write one sentence for each as I did above—scene, conflict, disaster. Using your three sentences as an outline, write a scene or a short story that contains all three elements.
Molly Noble Bull
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