Learn about 5 common scene issues in fiction writing, including lack of structure, POV character without agency, crowded scenes, not enough interiority, and inconsistent POV. Get tips on how to fix these issues and improve your storytelling skills.
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Scene Structure
Ensure your scenes have a goal, conflict, and a tough decision for the protagonist.
If scenes feel flat, analyze for missing structural elements.
volunteer_activism ADVICE
Protagonist Agency
Give your protagonist agency by letting them make most decisions in each scene.
Even if others make choices, protagonists can choose their reactions.
volunteer_activism ADVICE
Cut Extra Stuff
Remove unnecessary elements from scenes, like subplots, descriptions, or info dumps.
Keep only what's essential for the story and cut or relocate the rest.
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In today’s episode, I’m sharing 5 of the most common “scene level” issues to look for when editing your draft. Here’s a preview of what’s included:
[02:44] Issue #1: The scene isn’t properly structured and it feels flat.
[03:59] Issue #2: The POV character doesn’t have enough agency.
[05:57] Issue #3: There’s too much extra stuff crowding the scene.
[07:50] Issue #4: There’s not enough interiority on the page.
[09:35] Issue #5: The POV is inconsistent (aka there's head hopping)
[11:22] Final thoughts and episode recap.
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Links mentioned in this episode:
The 5-Day Unlock Your Story: A LIVE challenge designed to help you get your ideas out of your head and onto the page.
Fiction Writing Made Easy | Top Creative Writing Podcast for Fiction Writers & Writing Tips