In-Between Scenes

I am working on my newest novel and I am always excited when I start writing a book because the brainstorming and idea-generating is fun. The beginning of the book is also fun because I am introducing the characters and laying the groundwork for the story.

And of course the BIG scenes are fun – the first kiss, the first fight, the first love scene, the big battle against evil, the resolution – all wonderful and exhilarating to write.

That shouldn’t be a surprise since life is the same way. We love the BIG life events – weddings, births, anniversaries, parties, holidays.

But what we don’t necessarily get excited about are those “in-between scenes” or day-to-day life events we live. And I have to remind myself of that when I feel like I am slogging through them as I write.

But these scenes are important. They lay the background for the characters and the plot that will take the reader through the book. You can’t only have the larger-than-life scenes in a book. The story needs to be grounded, much like we do in our own lives. And the little things discovered in these scenes become a sweet resolution in the big scenes as well.

What makes the big scenes in books and big events in our lives so special is that they don’t happen every page or every day. In reality, we need the big and the in-between to keep our balance. So back I go to write my next in-between scene. May you find the same balance in your life too!