A scene is a point in which an incident occurs in a plot. This definition allows us to draw the first reason for having scenes in your work - the happening of an incidence. Any scene that appears in a novel has either of these two aspects: dialogue or action. The dialogue could be in the form of internal or external dialogue. The action, in this case, could be simple such as a character in the novel seated in a café, observing everything around them.

Justifying the scene

Why should this particular scene be included in the story? Does it serve a particular purpose? If a scene adds nothing to the story or only repeats what has been covered before, it should be excluded.

In Murder at Murky Marsh, a novel written by Claude Peterson Jr., the work begins with a gruesome scene. The main story features a couple who has just arrived in the US from Scotland and are excited about starting their new life. What meets them, however, is a group of corrupt law enforcers who brutally kill the woman’s husband and sexually assault the woman. The scene serves as a foundation for the story, portraying the level of injustice and corruption in Murky Marsh.

In another story, The Devil and Dayna Dalton by Brit Lunden, the opening scene features a broken Dayna who is tired of the life she is living. She is now involved with a man whom she never thought she could be with even in her most desperate moments. The scene points to where Dayna is in her life and in this particular story; she is desperate, discouraged and lost. The work uses another scene that involves Dayna meeting up with a supernatural character to introduce a paranormal aspect which makes the work suspenseful and gripping.

Some scenes may play more crucial roles than others in a novel. They all, still, have to add to the work by driving the plot forward and helping tell the story.

Describe emotions, settings, and actions

Many writers make the mistake of directly stating what they want the reader to take away from the scene, including the characters’ motives, instead of letting the reader come to such conclusions by themselves.

A great way of describing a scene is remembering the five senses - sight, hearing, smell, taste and touch - and including them in creating the scene.

In the book, The Splendid Secrets of 66 Lilly Pilly Lane by Elena Paige, the main character is initially blind. Having lost her father, Chia’s stepmother has banished her to the mines where she is searching for diamonds to appease the stepmother. Since she cannot see, her other senses are used to tell the story. She easily recognizes the voice of the mine master that instantly arouses fear in her.

Once she is rescued, she is taken to a splendid castle where she begins to see. The magnificence of the place is captured through specific details included in the story such as the velvety green ground and the tube ride that stops at a sandpit filled with crushed diamonds.