1. Short Story Organization Conflict And Encounters: Scenes

2. Scenes Sequence of dramatic linking units Transform story and characterization into dramatic and purposeful forward action Good scene planning leads to good continuity, forward movement, suspenseful action, and emotional conflict

3. Successful Scene Formula Writer should follow this sequence in constructing a scene: – Purpose – When – Where – Who – What happens

4. Elements Of A Good Scene Every scene contains certain basic elements. How you combine these basic elements produces the formula. A scene formula helps you organize and integrate the action with the characters.

5. Purpose Should advance the story action by helping or hindering the Viewpoint in the solution of the problem

6. Purpose Opening scene confronts the Viewpoint with a problem and forces the Viewpoint to make a decision to take action

7. Purpose Complication scenes develop the conflict between the Viewpoint and the supporting characters, ending in a balance

8. Purpose Crisis scene upsets the balance and pushes the Viewpoint to a moment of revelation

9. Purpose Climax scene establishes the Viewpoint's character change

10. Purpose If you know exactly why you need each scene you will be sure of getting unity and forward movement

11. Time (When) Each scene moves the Viewpoint nearer to the end of the immediacy and the solution of the problem

12. Time (When) First scene opens on the day of the problem in the Viewpoint's life

13. Time (When) Establish exact time of day and the length of time the Viewpoint has to solve the problem – Story matter will dictate the pacing of the complications

14. Time (When) Crisis scene takes place immediate before the end of the immediacy and occurs directly after the moment of revelation

15. Time (When) RULE: First line of each scene notifies reader how much time has elapsed.

16. Place (Where) Restrict the settings to a few places

17. Place (Where) Don't exhaust the reader with a lot of city hopping

18. Place (Where) Show the setting in the problem situation between Viewpoint action and reaction

19. Place (Where) Do not stop the action with long setting descriptions

20. Place (Where) Complication scenes can move to a different area of the basic setting

21. Place (Where) Crisis scene should return to the opening setting or near

22. Place (Where) Climax continues in the crisis setting

23. Place (Where) Setting should stimulate the inner and outer emotional conflict of the Viewpoint

24. Place (Where) Familiar settings

25. Next week Characters (Who) Action & Decision (What happens)