Scene Construction & Audience Reaction

A fair amount of thought goes into the construction of a scene. Character, plot, dialogue, background, setting, etc. all play a role in the unfolding of any given situation. One can’t overstate the importance of how the various elements come together.

In a typical scenario, a writer works with at least two characters. That’s the bare minimum required to create external conflict. Once you’ve decided which characters are present, then comes the task of presenting them as true to their beliefs. What’s their motivation? Are these characters in agreement or is there tension between them? Thus, dialogue is born.

Okay, but where is this taking place? How does the setting beget the mood? Are they in a dark alley? A bedroom? In the middle of a battlefield? These are wildly different locations in which to place one’s characters, but when provided the right tone and placement within the story, the merit of the scene grows.

Is the scene happening at the beginning, middle, or end of the narrative? Where in the plot is the scene most effective? How much character growth is necessary for the scene to be earnest and carry the weight of verisimilitude? (Side Note: I hate two words with the utmost intensity – sublime and verisimilitude – because I’ve never heard someone use them in a conversation without sounding entirely pretentious.)

All right, you’ve got all these put together. Now comes the hard part. No, I’m not talking about writing it. Even a “pantser” like me (that means I don’t do much planning when I write) can craft a compelling scene in record time. No, the difficult task is anticipating and cultivating audience reaction.

I’m going to use an example (without spoiling) from The Smiling Man Conspiracy to illustrate. Toward the end of the “Arrested Developments” chapter and the beginning of “Blood on the Snow” comes a moment that’s been building for Llewyn Finch. He’s wanted this, unconsciously or otherwise, for years. It’d be the greatest of releases for his pain and suffering. At least, that’s what he thinks.

But that’s not what I (the author) wanted you (the reader) to believe. So I had to write what was true to the character of Llewyn. I had to satiate the character’s desire while not allowing the audience to cultivate that same satisfaction. In bizarre fashion, I was required to craft a scene in which the audience roots against the hero!

Llewyn is titillated and entranced, but the reader is supposed to be horrified, uncomfortable, squirming in their seat. If this were a movie, they’d be shouting at the screen the way people do when a character in a horror movie doesn’t realize the villainous slasher is right behind them.

Character A wants what Character B offers. Character B is more than willing to be the one who provides for Character A. But Character A would betray every principle they stand for if they give into their selfish needs. Some of the audience wants this to happen, but the more discerning readers realize it’d be the worst idea and outcome possible for the characters involved. It’s not really a Catch-22, but that’s perhaps the most challenging writing I’ve had to do thus far. But when a scene comes together, magic happens, and it’s beautiful.

I needed expressive language, but the sentences couldn’t be long-winded. I had to disclose the intoxication, the allure of the moment, but I couldn’t have Llewyn ignore his better self. To sell the scene, the setting had to be evocative, almost risqué, but I wouldn’t allow the audience to give in like the hero so desperately wishes. The reader had to experience the rush of adrenaline followed by the crushing disappointment of adhering to the narrow, less self-indulgent path.

This scene had to be intimate, quick, and without falsehoods. For that reason, it could only happen in the first “Act” of the book and behind closed doors. It wouldn’t be true to the characters or the plot if it had occurred later in the story in a different and foreign venue. In addition, this moment informs the rest of the narrative in a way that is crucial to specific character relationships not only in The Smiling Man Conspiracy, but onward to the forthcoming third novel: The Sons of Darkness.

There must always be ramifications for actions taken. Without this scene, this lonesome beating heart, the story may well have come apart at the seams.

Thanks for perusing this post. If you’re a writer, reader, or something betwixt, I hope it’s been informative and perhaps inspiring. Whatever the case, I’m glad you stuck around. God bless and peace be with you.