Once you’ve completed a couple of drafts of your script and feel you have the structure pretty much in place, it is time to zoom in and analyze individual scenes. You will inevitably find a few scenes that you feel are important to the story in terms of character or plot development, but which lack the excitement and/or tension of the scenes you know are working.
To develop these scenes to their potential, make sure they contain one or more of the following qualities:
1. Someone wants something, and there is an obstacle to him or her getting it.
Not every scene can or should be a bloody battle for survival. However, you’ll add momentum and tension if the main character of the scene wants something, even if it is a snack to ease a hunger pang or a cab to get to work on time. If you have an expository beat, try making it take place while the character is trying to achieve some simple physical goal. You will be amazed at the increased energy level of the scene. Characters can also have less tangible goals, such as wanting to be understood, wanting sympathy, or wanting to get a rise out of someone -- all of which will add drama to an ordinary action or conversation.
2. The scene can be summed up as either a chase or an escape.
There are two possible motivations in a scene: chase or escape. A character is either pursuing something or fleeing something. This “something” can be physical or emotional in nature. A subtler way of defining this concept is that a character is either hoping for something (chase) or fearing something (escape). Figuring out which of these two categories your scene falls into will help you clarify and focus the action.
3. The scene moves the main character forward.
Again, this can happen emotionally or physically. For example, the action can have an effect on the character and cause some kind of inner change, so that at the end of the scene, he is a different person than he was at the beginning. Alternatively, the scene can bring the character closer to her goal, or put an obstacle in her path that pushes her further away from her goal. The key plot points in your story should ideally move the main character forward both emotionally AND physically.
4. The scene has a structure.
If your scene contains the above three elements, it will inherently have a structure: a beginning, middle and end. The beginning makes the situation or problem clear. What does the character want? What is he hoping for or fearing? The middle intensifies the situation, presenting obstacles, complications and/or resistance. The ending resolves the situation. The character either does or does not achieve his objective for the scene, and he and/or his path in the story has changed as a result.
5. The scene has texture.
Ideally, a scene should accomplish more than one thing. One way to add texture or depth to a scene is to combine two scenes into one. If you have a scene where a character is making a phone call in order to get some key information, and another where she is eluding the villain, combining the two will instantly add dimension. Now the exposition scene has suspense: Can she complete the call without getting caught? In addition, the flight from the villain is made more difficult by the character’s need to make the call. The new scene would end up as both a chase AND an escape, but the two levels would complement each other, heightening the excitement level as well as speeding up the pace of the action.
It is also a good idea to add physical texture to a scene wherever possible. What is the weather like? Would rain make the scene more difficult and therefore more interesting and dramatic? Does the geography of the location play off the essence or tone of the scene? Perhaps a cramped apartment would be a better setting for a confrontation than a deserted road. How does the time of day affect the action? Does sound play a part? What is interesting, unusual or unique about the clothing the characters are wearing? Are there objects in the location that can be used in the scene for dramatic purposes?
An activity can also add texture. A conversation could take place during a darts game, or while one character is washing the dishes. Ideally, any activity should tie in thematically with the text of the scene.
Next month: Five more qualities to look for in analyzing your unsatisfactory scenes.
