EDGE COACH - TUESDAYS
Welcome to Edge Coach, my Tuesday focus on professional story development. As a Fictionary Certified StoryCoach Editor, I share techniques to strengthen your writing and engage your readers. Whether you're revising your first draft or polishing your final one, Edge Coach offers practical guidance for your story.
As a Fictionary Certified StoryCoach Editor, I often find scene structure at the heart of story problems. Let’s explore what makes a scene work with specific examples.
The Core Elements (with Examples)
1. Character Goal
Weak Example:
Sarah goes to the coffee shop to think about her problems.
Strong Example:
Sarah rushes to the coffee shop to confront her brother before he leaves town with her inheritance.
2. Conflict
Weak Example:
The coffee shop is crowded and Sarah has to wait in line.
Strong Example:
Sarah’s brother sits with their mother, who doesn’t know about the stolen money. Any confrontation will shatter their mother’s already fragile health.
3. Outcome
Weak Example:
Sarah decides to leave and try again tomorrow.
Strong Example:
Sarah chooses protecting her mother over confronting her brother, but photographs him meeting his accomplice—evidence she’ll use after their mother’s recovery.
Common Problems and Solutions
1. Missing Goals
Weak Scene:
John walks through the park, noticing flowers and thinking about life.
Revised Scene:
John searches the park for his daughter’s lost medical alert bracelet, knowing her severe allergy could turn deadly any moment.
2. Insufficient Conflict
Weak Scene:
Mary asks her boss for a raise and gets it.
Revised Scene:
Mary asks for a raise, knowing her boss just lost two major clients and is considering layoffs, but her son’s surgery can’t wait.
3. Unimpactful Endings
Weak Scene:
Tom finishes his homework and goes to bed.
Revised Scene:
Tom completes the forged admission essay, torn between his father’s expectations and his own integrity, then sees his father’s proud smile—making tomorrow’s confession even harder.
Today’s Exercise
Take your current scene and map it:
1. Goal: What does your character want RIGHT NOW?
Example: “To get the damning letter before his wife finds it”
2. Conflict: What stands in the way?
Example: “The letter is in his wife’s office, where she’s currently meeting with clients”
3. Outcome: How does it change things?
Example: “He fails to get the letter but discovers his wife already knows—and has evidence of much worse”
Remember: Every scene should raise questions even as it answers others.
Need help strengthening your scenes? Schedule a Story Discovery Session to discuss your novel’s structure.
You’re invited to schedule a consultation.
Note: If this is your first appointment, you do not have to pay. I offer a FREE—initial consultation.
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