We talk a lot about how every scene in a book should be moving the plot forward. This is one of those helpful-ambiguous statements that everyone knows and few understand. So let's break it down.
What this doesn't mean: every scene in the book has to be action-packed and high intensity until the end of the story.
What this does mean: every scene needs to have a purpose.
We all know--whether consciously or subconsciously--that there is a certain flow to reading books. There will be scenes that pack a punch followed by scenes that are calm and contemplative. This varied structure pulls us forward but also allows us time to process everything we've learned.
An action-packed story with no contemplative scenes will feel fast. It might even get confusing because we're constantly bombarded with new information. In that case, we don't have time to fit the pieces together ourselves. Big reveals will fall flat because we weren't able to connect the dots.
Similarly, a story filled with contemplative, introspective scenes will feel slow. Probably long. We might put the book down because of the lack of tension creating that dynamic.
So, both types of scenes are necessary, and there's a general flow for how they play out (think introduction, rising action, peak action, simmer down). But how do we know if each scene in our book has a purpose?
This is when taking time to write out scene cards can be super helpful. Looking at our story from an aerial view helps us to see what's happening in the bigger picture. How does a scene about Mary remembering a game from her childhood help push us forward?
The answer might be: it doesn't.
If Mary doesn't a) learn something about herself or the plot, b) encounter that problem later in the story, or c) make a character connection. These are just a few examples, but probably the most frequent reasons for having specific scenes.
In the case where the scene is necessary, Mary might think of the game and realize that she was in a similar situation when she was younger. She might realize that she thought she couldn't figure out the puzzle, but the answer was right in front of her all along. This helps Mary ultimate complete her quest because she knows she's done it before.
It might be necessary if Mary remembers that game because someone is leaving her clues. Maybe she's looking for her father and he knows how much she loved it. The final piece of the puzzle is her having to complete this game in a way that only she played it. If Mary didn't remember the game before this point, the solution could feel pulled from thin air (read dissatisfying). So introducing it earlier is important.
Another case might be that Mary sees other children playing this game. She pauses on the street because she recalls playing it in her childhood. And because she stopped to watch, she bumps into a new character--one who will become integral to her journey later on.
It might not be necessary if this is unrelated backstory. If we're seeing this side of Mary because it's a fun fact that she's good at playing this game. If it takes up space and doesn't contribute to moving the plot forward, it can probably be cut.
Writing out scene cards gives us the chance to inspect the outcome of each scene. What does this scene introduce? How does the pacing line up? What are we learning about the plot or the characters? Is it in the right place?
Sometimes scenes are integral, but they happen at the wrong time. If that's the case, this is also a great exercise to test out pacing and plot development. If Suzy meets Mary in the Fourth Act of a five-act story, maybe she needs to be introduced earlier on. Maybe the scene needs to come closer to the Second Act instead.
It can be time consuming to write everything out by hand, but I highly recommend it. (I've also heard that Scrivener is an excellent tool for this kind of thing but I've never used it myself. So take that with a grain of salt.)
So, when we take at look at the bones of our story, we can ask ourselves: what is the purpose of this scene?
If we don't have an answer, it might need to go. Or, maybe it just involves a little reworking until we get to the root of it.
Happy writing,
Erin
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