Checklist for writing a scene

I didn’t realize until I was a young adult that some scenes in a movie didn’t make it into the final cut. Today, we have DVDs where we can see the parts of the film the director cut and left on the editing room floor.

When it came to my novel, I honestly didn’t think I’d have to do that. But here I am, the stage of my novel where I am going over each scene, and I am “killing my darlings.” I want to keep most of the scenes, but I have a criteria I go over that may tell me otherwise.

If a scene doesn’t fit the criteria, slash. It’s gone.

I don’t actually trash the scene, I just put it in a folder called “unused material.”

1. Is it a scene or a sequel? A scene has a goal, a conflict, and a disaster. A scene that is a sequel has a reaction, dilemma, and a decision. Both are okay, but it’s good to know which is which. Read Randy Ingermanson’s article Writing the Perfect Scene for more details.
2. What is the conflict? If no conflict exists in the scene, either find a way to rewrite it into the story or cut it.
3. What is the purpose of this scene? A scene can have several purposes: introduce a character, build suspense, establish a mood, create a resolution, etc. If you can’t figure out the purpose of the scene, cut it.
4. Do you have a consistent point of view? Would changing the point of view improve the scene? I wrote some scenes from the viewpoint of my antagonist. However, I felt they were too “on-the-nose,” so to speak. No subtext. So, I rewrote the scenes from another character’s viewpoint in the same scene, and I felt the story became more effective. Why? Because it created suspense and mystery for my antagonist.
5. Are you using sub-text in the action and dialogue of the characters? Are you avoiding on-the-nose writing? Instead of telling what the characters are doing and saying, pay attention to what they’re NOT doing and saying. They may say one thing but really mean another. It’s what is going on beneath the surface. Here’s a great article about using subtext.
6. Does your character do something surprising? Keep your readers on their toes by surprising them with your character’s reactions. In each scene, the character should do something unexpected.
7. What emotion does the character feel at the beginning of the scene? Do they have a conflicting or contrasting emotion by the end of the scene? If the character is laughing and playing around at the beginning of the scene, is she pissed off at the end of the scene? Ensure your characters express various feelings and moods throughout the scene.
8. Does your character have expectations at the beginning of the scene that contrasts with what happens during the scene? If your character expects to win a competition at the beginning of the scene, show them losing. Or something else unexpected. Or the character expects to lose and ends up winning by cheating or something else. Surprise the reader.
9. Are the characters only talking in this scene? If so, does it move the story along? Your scene may only be a conversation, but it better move the story along.
10. Does your scene have a beginning, middle, and end? Does it seem like a mini-novel? If you consider them a mini-story, then you’re more likely to write stronger scenes. C.S. Lakin talks about scene structure in her article.

When revising your manuscript, use this list to analyze your scenes and see if they stand up. Are you strong enough to cut them out if they don’t? Or can you reframe them so they do make your story stronger?

What will the cutting room floor look like when you’re done?

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