Writing Craft
Scenes usually fail for one of two reasons. Either everyone is standing in a room thinking very hard, or they are all rushing about with no apparent reason except that the page demanded movement.
The bit that matters is often the balance between what is happening out loud and what is being held back. Too much interiority and the tension goes limp. Too little and it starts to feel like furniture being moved around by polite ghosts.
Getting that balance right is fiddly. Probably why it keeps being interesting.
The bit that matters is often the balance between what is happening out loud and what is being held back. Too much interiority and the tension goes limp. Too little and it starts to feel like furniture being moved around by polite ghosts.
Getting that balance right is fiddly. Probably why it keeps being interesting.
Half the trouble is that “interiority” gets treated as a single knob, when it’s really several different ones. A line of thought, a withheld reaction, a bit of practical noticing. Mix them badly and the scene either stalls or turns into stage business with commentary. In a good scene, someone wants something and the room resists. The rest is just arranging the chairs.