StoryCraft Novel Challenge Day 18: Does each of your scenes have a narrative purpose?
Congratulations!
Completing a Beatsheet is a huge part of the writing process, and even though it might not seem like a lot of work, you’re well on your way to an incredible outline for your novel.
For the next portion of the StoryCraft Novel Challenge, we’re going to be talking about the finer details of your book and how to develop them ahead of time using our strategic process.
Every novel is made up of Chapters, which are then made up of scenes. Each scene showcases a moment in time to the reader, but how do you decide which scenes to actually write?
An important distinction between a good book and a great book is that each scene should carry a Narrative Purpose. This means that the scene adds to the overall story and pushes us along a theoretical golden thread that guides us from beginning to end.
There are many ways a scene can add to the story. It might reveal character, or unveil a hidden truth. It might provide a conflictual scene where two characters have a moment of drama, or it might set up an important moment for down the road.
The last step of the StoryCraft Process before we start actually drafting is completing a chapter-by-chapter outline, and a great way to ensure every scene has a narrative purpose is by including that as part of the outline.
For now, when you’re thinking about your scenes, ask yourself what they add to the story. Do they reveal something to the reader? Do they increase conflict, provide stakes, or provide foreshadowing? If not, it’s a good indication that something is missing. Every scene should have something essential to the telling of your story. When there are scenes with no narrative purpose, it becomes difficult to get hooked or keep reading.
Tomorrow, we’ll be talking about one of the most elusive elements of writing: finding your voice.
Happy Writing,
Jess and Theo