Scene and Structure Review

Question 1

Self Concept

Answer 1

Mental picture the character carries inside themselves, defining what kind of person they are.

Most precious and emotional possession

So deeply engrained and protected that most people will go to almost any lengths to protect it as it stands today.

Question 2

When should the story start?

Answer 2

The time of change that threatens protagonist’s self concept.

Event will make her feel miserable and out of sync with the environment and ready to struggle to feel normal again

Question 3

Story Goal

Answer 3

A goal to fix things so the protagonist can defend self concept

Question 4

Big view of story

Answer 4

1. Starts with change
2. Leads to a goal
3. Raises the story question in reader’s mind
4. Obstacles
5. Story question is answered

Question 5

Stimulus and Response

Answer 5

For every stimulus you must have a response.

For every response you must have a stimulus

Question 6

Cause and Effect

Answer 6

For every cause, there must be an effect

For every effect, there must be a cause

Question 7

Stimulus and response must both be…

Answer 7

External- as if the transaction were witnessed onstage.

Question 8

Character internalization

Answer 8

The feeling and thought process that goes between the stimulus and response.

Question 9

Conflict twists in a scene will each be experienced by the POV character as a…

Answer 9

Stimulus

Question 10

Internalization contents

Answer 10

Reminds reader what’s a stake and how things seem to be going for the POV character.

Question 11

Stimulus response transaction order

Answer 11

Stimulus
Internalization
Response

Question 12

Scene

Answer 12

A segment of story action, written moment by moment, presented onstage in the story “now”

Question 13

Pattern of Scene

Answer 13

1. Statement of goal
2. Development of conflict
3. Disaster

Question 14

Statement of scene goal

Answer 14

Character states goal in an obvious fashion

Short term goal clearly relates to story goal

Reader forms a scene specific yes or no question

POV character reiterates goal throughout conflict

POV character walks into situation with a clear cut, specific goal, appearing to be immediately attainable.

Question 15

Development of Conflict

Answer 15

Opposing character states opposition early in the scene and never lets up.

People in conflict should be continually shifting their tactics, trying different lines of logic.

Question 16

The length of a scene should be…

Answer 16

Directly proportional to its importance in the overall plot- the higher the stakes, the longer the scene.

Question 17

Mentally devise a moving game plan for the protagonist and antagonist so that even if you don’t tell the reader what either is thinking, you know what both are thinking.

Answer 17

Awareness of character’s thoughts will help with imagining angles in the conflict development.

Question 18

Make sure there is enough motivation from the opposition character to…

Answer 18

Justify his opposition

Question 19

Antagonist tactic ideas

Answer 19

Antagonist gets protagonist off point with an opposing tactic.

Antagonist either doesn’t understand or is unresponsive to what is at issue that the protagonist keeps trying to talk about.

Question 20

It is better to overdevelop a scene than…

Answer 20

Under develop it

Question 21

Consider scene goals, angles in conflict, and the nature of the disaster in terms of…

Answer 21

Scope of result
Immediacy of result
Finality of result
Direction of result

Question 22

Goal selection errors

Answer 22

1. Scene goals that are too small to allow for sufficient scope of disaster.
2. Goals of such magnitude that the scope of the scene disaster will destroy them
3. Cannot logically lead to a scene ending result with any immediacy
4. Outcomes with too much immediacy

Question 23

Make it obvious that the POV character says or thinks the scene goal is..

Answer 23

Vitally important

Question 24

The disaster should grow out of the goal to put considerable additional…

Answer 24

Pressure on the character very soon

Question 25

Scene goals chosen and how the conflict portion is handled have a direct result on…

Answer 25

The scene ending disaster

Question 26

What adversely affects the finality of the scene ending disaster?

Answer 26

Over intensification of the conflict Introduction of the wrong angle

Question 27

Disaster mistakes

Answer 27

Causes scope of following events to be too large or insignificant Too immediate or not immediate enough Result that too final or insignificant Disaster sent the story line off on a wrong vector that the original plot didn’t foresee

Question 28

Disaster must…

Answer 28

Follow logically out of the stated goal and grow logically but unexpectedly out of the conflict.

Question 29

Disaster works to move the story forward by seeming to move…

Answer 29

The protagonist further from her goal, leaving her in worse trouble than she was before the scene began.

Question 30

Apparent backwards progress is…

Answer 30

An elimination of options, that is bring protagonist closer to the final showdown.

Question 31

A meaningful disaster…

Answer 31

Changes things so that they can never be the same again- good scenes always have impact on later events.

Question 32

Conflict portion of scene questions

Answer 32

Who or what is the protagonist against? Where will it take place? How long does it last? At least four twists it takes as it plays out

Question 33

The goal of each scene must clearly relate to…

Answer 33

The story question

Question 34

POV character should be…

Answer 34

The character with the strongest, clearest goal motivation going in.

Question 35

The reader will identify with and most strongly relate to…

Answer 35

The POV character

Question 36

Raise stakes in a scene

Answer 36

What can be won? What can be lost or destroyed?

Question 37

Sequel order of events

Answer 37

1. Emotion 2. Thought 3. Decision 4. Action

Question 38

Emotional section of sequel depends on…

Answer 38

1. The type of person they are 2. The nature and depth of previous disaster and shock

Question 39

Sequels, unlike scenes can have…

Answer 39

Summary

Question 40

In sequels, how much space devoted to each structural component is flexible depending on…

Answer 40

1. The kind of story 2. Kind of POV character 3. Harshness of disaster 4. Complexity factors the character must consider.

Question 41

Emotional Chaos

Answer 41

Anger Sadness Confusion Surprise Fear Resentment Bitterness Disappointment Suspicion

Question 42

Sequel can summarize

Answer 42

Earlier story events Importance of scene goal denied Strength of the character’s motivation Importance of long term story goal Depth of characters surprise

Question 43

External showing in sequel

Answer 43

Search for gestures or actions that result from the inner storm of character Advantage- allows reader to reach their own conclusions

Question 44

Internal Telling

Answer 44

Time seems to stand still as the pain or rage are described.

Question 45

Sequel dialogue

Answer 45

Character talking to someone else about feelings Allow character to speak emotions, be questioned about them by the other person, and even experience new emotions as a result of feeling misunderstood.

Question 46

Thought section of sequel

Answer 46

Review the recent scene Remembers disaster and what it means in terms of her hopes Thinks of story goal and why it’s important Character development- how they think, what kind of person they are Lays out new plans so she can struggle forward in story goal

Question 47

Decision section of sequel offers a new ray of hope…

Answer 47

Gambit they can try Suspect she can question Search she can make Request she can lodge

Question 48

Sequel is more subjective

Answer 48

Character interpretation becomes an integral part of every event.

Question 49

Scenes pick up story pace

Answer 49

Exciting Conflictual Action packed Dialogue Fast reading

Question 50

Sequels slow the story pace

Answer 50

Thoughtful Potentially extended Contain summary Slow reading

Question 51

Improve scenes

Answer 51

1. Analyze the dramatic potential of every confrontation between major characters and see if you missed a chance for them to struggle over a plot point. 2. Can there be a reason for the characters to enter the meeting with stronger, more immediate goals? 3. Can you extend and intensify the argument by raising the stakes or make the participants more desperate? 4. Chance to add secondary issues to fight over? 5. Have you made scene ending disaster less destructive than it may logically be?