SWRT 221 | Writing BIG Scenes

September 9, 2021

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Workshops begin this week.

Register for fall writing workshops at www.storyworksfiction.com.

Single-session, single-topic workshops & multiple-week deep dive workshops available now. Get the details and sign up today!

VIDEO

AUDIO

SHOW NOTES

What we talked about:

What is a big scene? (0:25)

How do you paint a big scene without losing clarity? (1:30)

The use of multiple point of view in big scenes. (4:35)

Don’t lose your stakes and tension! (10:15)

The problem of comparing big scenes in film with those in books. (12:15)

Don’t use a big scene when your reader doesn’t care. (15:38)

Why do you want to use a big scene? (18:11)

Where should you put your big scenes? Can you escalate from there? (20:40)

What about force of nature scenes? (22:36)

How do you want the reader to remember the scene? (25:00)

How much big picture do you need to make it epic? (27:45)

LINKS

Get Alida’s Writing Tips here.

Things we mentioned:

The Lord of the Rings & The Hobbit by JRR Tolkien
Saving Private Ryan
The Sword of Truth Series by Terry Goodkind

Want more about these topics? Check out:

SWRT 214: Prologues

Have thoughts, questions, other examples? Join the conversation at the Story Works Writers Facebook group.

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About Your Hosts

Alida Winternheimer is an award-winning author with an MFA in writing from Hamline University. She pursues her fervor for all things story as a writing coach, developmental editor, and teacher. Three times nominated for the Pushcart Prize, she is also a notable in Best American Essays and winner of the Page Turner Award. Author of The Story Works Guide to Writing Fiction Series, Alida lives and writes in Minneapolis, Minnesota. She camps, bikes, and kayaks in her free time. Unless it’s winter, in which case she drinks chai by the fire. You can find more at www.alidawinternheimer.com.

Kathryn Arnold writes fantasy and anything else that sparks her creativity from her home in Kingston, Washington. She currently earns her living as an insurance underwriting assistant, where she also creates marketing and web copy. When not writing, she plays (and teaches) piano and keyboard in a band (or two), and is working on starting a ministry team with her husband. You can find Kathryn at www.skyfirewords.com.

Robert Scanlon was born in Australia, but whisked off to England when only a baby. After many years complaining about the weather, he did the sensible thing and moved back to Australia. Despite a career in the music industry, followed by decades teaching public speaking, Robert is an introvert who adores reading. Robert grew up on a diet of sci-fi masters, eventually discovering he had read the library’s entire science fiction section. Now he has to write his own. Robert is the author of Constellation, book one of the Blood Empire space opera series. Find out more at www.RobertScanlon.com