A few years ago, I began teaching my fiction students to write scenes in a cinematic way—that is, to visualize each scene as if it’s a movie.
Writing Tip for Today: Let’s discuss cinematic scene writing and scene visualization.
Who’s on First?
One common mistake that writers make is not visualizing their scenes. Or they imagine them but then stuff them with all sorts of information and explanations. Readers only need a few bits of information to experience a scene: the where, the when, who’s on stage and what it’s about.
If you write vividly yet forget any of these items, readers can’t ground themselves. I always counsel that we need at least the who, the where and the when at the very opening of any scene. Readers must be able to envision what they’re reading. If they don’t know where they are, when they are and who’s on stage, they’ll have no way to place events in time and space.
A scene which occurs at night is different than one in daylight. Readers want to be able to build suspense as one event or setback follows another. Give your readers the critical information up front—but be spare about it. An opening that gives too much detail about time or place may end up marooning readers before the action starts.
Where’s the Action
We’ve talked about starting scenes in media res—in the middle of the action—many times. Yet too many scenes contain long descriptions, explanations or other non-action items. I think you only need one or two sentences to orient readers before the action takes off. Get as close to the start of the action as possible in your opening.
Once your action begins, use dialogue and motion to bring a scene to life. Visualize the action—in theater we call this “blocking.” You know in advance where to stand, when to speak and other actions. If you rely too much on dialogue, your scenic elements of setting fade away quickly. Not enough movement can make a scene feel stagnant.
A word here about “table scenes.” In life we spend a lot of time talking as we sit around tables. As you imagine your scenes, don’t set too many around the table, the bar, or anywhere the characters are simply sitting and talking. These table scenes feel static to the reader. Readers only see the characters from the waist up. Give your characters something to do while they talk.
Examine movie scenes to help you visualize your fiction scenes.
Visualize Movies
Even if you’re not a film buff, you can examine scenes from every movie you watch. Note where and when the scene takes place. Observe what the onstage characters do with their bodies and their speech. Try to analyze what the purpose of a scene is and see if the character wins, loses or it’s a draw.
See if you can spot how the tension builds on film. Actors will use body language as well as dialogue. Fiction actually has the advantage of being able to project a POV character’s thoughts. With each successive scene, note how much closer or farther away from the goal (the ups and downs) the character seems to be. Rate the stakes of the movie and also evaluate the worthiness of the obstacles a character faces and must overcome. Watch classic or contemporary movies to help you learn to visualize your written scenes.
