Jordan Rosenfeld on Launching Into Scenes with Action

Join Jordan at WDC19 this August in NYC! [Web Version »]( &p1=%40imeq%2Fh29%2BYaqbM4QE7m2nTnBOnXzH7BE5c%2Fom81AjTc%3D) [Writer's Digest]( &cid=DM107880&bid=1067705478) [Make A Scene]( &cid=DM107880&bid=1067705478) [Jordan Rosenfeld on Launching Into Scenes with Action]( &cid=DM107880&bid=1067705478) The following is excerpted from [Make a Scene, Revised and Expanded]( ) by Jordan Rosenfeld. Many writers believe they must explain every bit of action that is going on right from the start of a scene, but narrative summary defeats action. The sooner you start the action in a scene, the more momentum is available to carry the reader forward. If you find yourself explaining an action, then you’re not demonstrating the action any longer; you’re floating in a distant star system known as Nebulous Intellectulus—more commonly known as your head—and so is the reader. Keep in mind the key elements of action: time and momentum. It takes time to plan a murder over late-night whispers; for a drunk character to drop a jar at the grocery; to blackmail a betraying spouse; or to kick a wall in anger. These things don’t happen spontaneously; they happen over a period of time. They are sometimes quick, sometimes slow, but once started they unfold until finished. Here’s how to create an action launch: - Get straight to the action. Don’t drag your feet here. “Jimmy jumped off the cliff”; not “Jimmy stared at the water, imagining how cold it would feel when he jumped.” - Hook the reader with big or surprising actions. A big or surprising action—outburst, car crash, violent heart attack, public fight—at the launch of a scene can then be the stage for a bunch of consequences to unfold. One caveat: You’ll be unlikely to pull this off in every scene. - Be sure that the action is true to your character. Don’t have a shy character choose to become suddenly uninhibited at the launch of a scene—save that for scene middles. Do have a bossy character belittle another character in a way that creates conflict. - Act first, think later. If a character is going to think in your action opening, let the action come first and the thought be a reaction. “Elizabeth slapped the Prince. When his face turned pink, horror filled her. What have I done? she thought.” [Read More...]( &cid=DM107880&bid=1067705478) [Feature]( ) [How to Write a Page-Turner: Master the Art of Tension]( ) In this full-day workshop at Writer's Digest Annual Conference, Jordan Rosenfeld, author of How to Write a Page-Turner (Writer’s Digest Books, 2019) and five other books on writing craft, will demonstrate: - Four key elements of page-turning tension - Strategies for building character tension - Essentials of creating plot tension - How to balance scene elements for maximum tension - How to build powerful images that layer in subconscious tension Whether you’re a beginning writer or already have a few short stories or novels under your belt, you’ll walk away from this masterclass with practical techniques to elevate your fiction by mastering the art of tension. [LEARN MORE]( ) Please do not reply to this email. We are happy to help you with any questions or concerns you may have. Please [click here to contact us]( ). This email was sent by: F+W, 10151 Carver Road, Suite 300, Blue Ash, OH, 45242 USA [Unsubscribe]( &cid=DM107880&bid=1067705478) | [Web Version »]( &p1=%40imeq%2Fh29%2BYaqbM4QE7m2nTnBOnXzH7BE5c%2Fom81AjTc%3D) We respect your right to privacy. [View our policy.]( )