Stories are comprised of scenes, which makes irrelevant scenes or passages snares to the entire story. A great writer critically composes every passage as though it has multiple reasons to exist. Some reasons can be more significant than others or allude to a developing subplot, but make certain you have at least two or three in each scene during the drafting of the story. When writing you must decide what the scene will accomplish from the reader’s perspective, and use elements to best meet that goal.
♠ Plot point
♠ Character’s goal(s)
♠ Action to increase the tension of the overall story or chapter
♣ How stakes are raised
♣ A reinforcement of the stakes
♣ Character development*
*If you’re using disagreements, tension, or suspense to compel your reader will expect some sort of change in a main character, be it emotional or character growth.
♦ World building
♦ Foreshadowing
♦ Story’s tone or mood
♥ Scenes revealing or dramatizing time. Use this when your scene relies on a summary, or when the scene tells rather than shows what’s happening.
♥ How much time does it take to get away from a conflict or run towards a character? How much space is between them?
♥ High points in a story must be written in the moment, or moment-by-moment in real time.