Beginning a scene



Beginning a scene


Beginning and ending scenes

How story scenes begin and end is another important component of constructing effective scenes. Not every type of opening and ending is appropriate for every type of scene, so you will need to think about factors like the purpose of the scene, how long you want the scene to be and the kind of mood you want to convey to the reader in the scene. In beginning a scene, you should think about how to grab the reader’s attention. At the end of a scene, you need to think about how to keep the reader turning pages.

Five ways to begin a scene

Begin the scene with action. You can’t start every scene with an explosion or a chase, but just as it is best to begin a novel as close to the action as possible, you can try to do the same with each scene.
Summarise. Sometimes, it’s better to tell, not show, and beginning with action instead of a summary may sometimes slow down the narrative. A single statement can sometimes have a strong impact: “The man had been dead three days before they found the body.”
Begin the scene by revealing a character’s thoughts.
Start with the setting. Your readers don’t want long paragraphs of description, but you can set the stage with a striking setting, and this is particularly true if the setting is unusual or reflects something about the scene or the character’s emotions.

Begin with dialogue. Plunging the reader into a conversation between two characters can be immediately compelling.


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