YAUPON BERRY PRESS LLC
  • Home
  • Services
    • Business Editor / Writer >
      • Editorial Breakdown
    • Manuscript Editor
  • About
  • Contact
  • FAQ
  • Blog

Save Your Scene

7/27/2020

0 Comments

 
How many times have you finished writing a chapter or a scene and are unsure of its importance? Or better yet, maybe it’s a critical scene, but it lacks the tension you were hoping for. Can you save your scene?
​
Before completely deleting the scene, which I never suggest doing (if I remove a scene, I save it in a different document), brainstorm different ways that can make it matter to the plot or to introduce conflict if it’s boring. In the end, if the scene falls flat, then maybe it’s best to remove it. But before you make the final decision, try these three tips to save your scene.
Image text: Save Your Scene

​3 Tips to Save Your Scene

1) Have you introduced new information vital to the plot?
  • Maybe the scene ran away from you, and you lost sight of why you wanted it in the book in the first place. In this case, look back at your outline (if you have one) and remember your goal for that particular section. What did you want to reveal to the reader?
2) Is your scene boring?
  • If you received a comment from a critique partner or editor that says a scene is boring, then chances are it is. There are many ways to make a scene more intriguing to read. The first one is to make sure your characters in the scene aren’t always agreeing or that the situations don’t magically work out for your main character. If it’s too easy for your main character, then the reader is likely to become bored.
  • Two blogs that give ideas on how to create conflict and tension in your story/scene/chapter are: Four Ways to Create Conflict Between Characters and How to Write Compelling Conflict: Create Conflict in Stories.
3) Does your scene feel robotic?
  • A great way to add substance to your scene is by adding physical signals into your dialogue and action. Don’t tell the reader how someone is feeling, “show” the reader through body movements, facial expressions, internal sensations, and more. For this particular tip, I suggest purchasing “The Emotion Thesaurus” by Angela Ackerman and Becca Puglisi.
Overall, after if you’ve tried all three tips, if you still need to delete the scene, then feel free. If the scene isn’t moving the plot forward or developing the character or revealing something new for the reader, then ask yourself if it’s essential to the story. But I urge you to save your scene in a separate document just in case. Deleted chunks can be a great “behind the scenes” view for your readers down the road.
If you feel this blog post was helpful, then please share it! If you’ve finished writing and revising your book and need an editor, email me. I provide free sample edits for the first 500 words.
Picture

Author

Dawn Husted progressed into offering her editing services to clients in 2016, eventually opening Yaupon Berry Press LLC. She's constantly learning new ways of helping clients stay relevant in today’s market, whether by using an SEO strategy targeting high-trafficked keywords or simply editing their content. ​Dawn lives in central Texas with her husband, two energetic kids and an adorable golden retriever.

Related Blog Posts

Picture

REMOVING FILTER WORDS IN FICTION

Is your manuscript filled with too many filter words: I wondered, I felt, I saw, I noticed? Have you ever thought about that aspect of your writing? Maybe you’re in the middle of developing an idea for a story or have just finished writing a book. If your manuscript is finished and you haven’t hired an editor yet, here’s a quick trick to remove filter words.
Picture

WHAT DOES “SHOW VS. TELL” MEAN?

What does “show versus tell” mean? For new writers, this can be a confusing phrase. First, let me state: it’s okay to tell. But in my opinion, showing is more appropriate in many instances, especially if you want the reader to notice something in particular.
Picture

DOES YOUR PROTAGONIST ACT LIKE A PSYCHOPATH?

Have you ever been told that your main character comes across as rude, not relatable, or emotionless? This problem can be a common pitfall for new writers. If you’ve finished writing a book, then congratulations! If you’re in the middle of writing a book, then don’t stop now. But if you want to figure out how to make your protagonist more relatable, then keep reading.
Picture

​IS GRAMMARLY PREMIUM WORTH IT? (2020 REVIEW)

I’ve used the free version of Grammarly for years, but I didn't upgrade to Grammarly Premium until recently. In short, the premium version is completely worth it—if you plan to use Grammarly regularly. Which means for me, it’s invaluable. Is it always correct? No. But the editing tool is my “second opinion” for polished material. And here’s why.

Are you an author in need of editing services?

Enter your contact details, and we'll send you the information for our services.

Marketing Permissions

The information you provide on this form will only be used to provide you with updates and personalized marketing. Your privacy is important to us! Please let us know how you would like to keep in touch:

We will send you occasional emails about promotions, new products and important updates to keep you in the loop.
We will use your information to show you ads that are more relevant to you to improve your online experience.

By clicking below to submit this form, you acknowledge that the information you provide will be processed in accordance with our Privacy Policy.

Thank you!

.
0 Comments

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.


    Archives

    October 2021
    September 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019


    Categories

    All
    Bios
    Book Writing
    Decal Copy
    Grammarly
    Marketing
    Marketing Copy
    Picture Books
    Press Release
    Professional Bios
    Proofreader
    Proofreading
    Relatable Characters
    Revising Scenes
    SEO
    Show Vs. Tell
    Websites

    RSS Feed

    Yaupon Berry Press logo

    Follow us on Facebook & Instagram for promotions and updates!

    Image Text: Tired of typos in your marketing material? Hire Yaupon Berry Press for a thorough edit.

    This website uses marketing and tracking technologies. Opting out of this will opt you out of all cookies, except for those needed to run the website. Note that some products may not work as well without tracking cookies.

    Opt Out of Cookies
    Home | Services | About | Contact | FAQ | Blog | 
    ​Books | Site Map 

    Yaupon Berry Press LLC, PO Box 9804, College Station, TX 77842 (USA)
    Phone: (979) 218-7292
    Email: YauponBerryPress@gmail.com
Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.
  • Home
  • Services
    • Business Editor / Writer >
      • Editorial Breakdown
    • Manuscript Editor
  • About
  • Contact
  • FAQ
  • Blog