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Scene: Where Change Happens

                                                  
                                                  Scene: Where Change Happens

Perhaps one of the most important elements in any writing is scene, whether it’s for memoir,

screenplay, novel, or most especially for short story. A scene is a compact unit in the

development of a story, novel, or play, a unique representation that propels the story or plot

ahead, and definitely something other than the mere telling of a story through

exposition—it shows us the story, like fast movie cuts and clips.  

A scene is a complete, independent little episode, a tableau, an incident that contains characters

with action and dialogue. To build a scene we need to see characters interacting, incorporating

movement and speech, but also using the five senses: taste, touch, smell, see, hear, along with

other elements such as feelings and emotions, perhaps what we know to be the sixth sense of a

character, and even the inclusion of a symbol or token to evoke memory. 

As an example, in describing Dennis Lehane’s abduction scene in Mystic River, what I remember first is the smell of the apple core left in the abductors’ car. Here is something so sweet and delectable—the apple, and yet it is juxtaposed with the horrific—an abomination—the abduction of the boy Dave by two sociopaths with vile intentions. By introducing the apple, Lehane has opened many arguments—including the loss of innocence and the first sin—the fall of Adam and Eve from the Garden of Paradise.

Scenes are components, little montages, not just in stories, novels, creative non-fiction, memoir,

screenplays, theater plays—even in poetry. Scenes achieve an important task, such as

introducing a character, an idea, a decision, turmoil between lovers, tension, or they help build

conflict. There is no complete story or novel without inclusion of the obligatory scenes that make

the whole work. But the single factor that enlivens your scene and gives you the foundation to

construct your work is change.

I just finished re-reading Barbara Wood’s excellent book Night Trains. For me, it was as spine-tingling as the first time.  Here below is how this author enthralls us by giving her readers a bone-chilling, thrilling scene. My humble description of it doesn’t even come close to doing it justice, but bear with me for the sake of explanation of what a scene can accomplish in a novel.

Scene: WWII. Wartime Poland is occupied by the Nazi’s. Winter.  A cold night. Visualize a spartan and austere doctor’s office in a hospital built in the 1930s.  Three people are gathered and waiting.  One of them is acting very edgy.  They are keeping a huge secret that could have them all killed.  A fourth person is expected.  This man is also involved in the surreptitious undertaking—a hoax that could save the town Sofia, or if revealed have the entire populace annihilated. But it is this fourth person who is the unknown factor, the dangerous element.  What if he divulges the hidden plan? As he enters the office, a doctor immediately moves to stand behind the door and bolt it. Tension is in the air. There appears to be a normal washstand and basin in the office, but something is wrong and out of place.  It is the presence of a straight razor, “shiny and clean, and it was wide open” that the key person now notices and as he begins to tremble.

Wow! I was on the proverbial edge of my seat when I read that scene.  An author should give the reader the picture of what’s taking place, of what’s going on so that the reader is privy to the action, but also has the pleasure of bringing to the scene with all its existing components, the addition of the reader’s imagination to complete it. After inspecting the scene in Night Trains that I described above, the reader knows that the prevailing situation is going to be radically altered.

What do we need to make a scene work? What is the heart and center, the guts and energy of any

scene? What do they require to be complete? It’s the author’s job to give us: description of place,

time of day, weather, a character’s hair color and clothing in exposition, but in scene we get what

the characters are doing and saying, through their senses. And the biggie for all characters are their wants, needs, motivations through cause and effect—all of these things get developed in scene, which is never static. Something must happen, transpire, alter—change.

Horoscope Helped Me Develop a Realistic Character by Nina Romano

Horoscope Helped Me Develop a Realistic Character

                                                                    

                                                                 by Nina Romano

In The Secret Language of Women, the first book of my Wayfarer Trilogy, I decided my main character Lian’s horoscope would be the Year of the Dog.  Knowing her horoscope facilitated my understanding the protagonist for this novel.  Since the book is set in China, I used Lian’s Chinese Zodiac sign to learn about her qualities and personality traits intimately so that she appeared genuine yet flawed. She is straightforward, a warm and caring being, courageous and intelligent. When a person born in under this sign falls in love, they do not ever change.  Lian fell in love with an Italian sailor, and remained faithful to that love, despite the fact that she was forced into a loveless marriage.

Moreover, having visited China, a unique experience that enabled me to see in person: Hong Kong, Beijing and its fabulous Forbidden City and Tiananmen Square, I was able to envision Lian’s travels and travails in war-torn China, an era suffused in superstition, intrigue, culture and history.  I incorporated the themes and things I care about, such as: love, family, food and recipes, art, dragons and horses.  Why? Simply because it’s straightforward to write what I know and have feelings for, and all of these ideas translated well even to a novel set in China during the Boxer Rebellion.  My own horoscope is the Year of the Horse, which was last year, so I made sure I had an important role for a horse in this novel, and I’m positive that my horoscope had incredible influence on my stars being aligned because I signed a contract for a three-book deal for my Wayfarer Trilogy with Turner Publishing.

While writing, I pictured Chinese New Year, the cleaning of the house, the distributing of red envelopes, and Lian cooking on a wok, serving rice to her beloved. Since this story takes place in China where live fish, most especially carp, are good Fengshui, which according to Wikipedia is a “philosophical system of harmonizing everyone with the surrounding environment.” For this reason, I put carp into a pool in the Summer Palace in Chapter 1, where Lian meets the love of her life. Do I believe in the influence of horoscopes and how they can help round out a character?  Of that there is little doubt.

Excerpt from the Secret language of Women

The things that test you and are vanquished bring everlasting joy.  The differences between traditional written Chinese and Nüshu, the secret language of women, made it difficult for me to learn it.  My mother and grandmother could not write Chinese and learned Nüshu when they were young and wanted me to grasp it too.  I cannot say they harped on me or were tyrannical, but I will say they were insistent, and for this I am eternally indebted. 

My mother said it challenged me because I wrote like a man and didn’t have to rely solely on Nüshu, the way they did to communicate with other women.  The ideograms of Chinese correspond to a word or part of one, whereas each of the seven hundred characters of Nüshu represent a syllable— women’s language is phonetic, in Chéngguān dialect 城关土话, adaptable and pliant for singing, poetry and writing with such delicate strokes they appear as lines of feathers.

Though learning was problematical, I mastered it, like I do all things I set my mind to

conquer.  At the time, I resented the study of it, yet I knew innately one day I would be grateful to possess the knowledge and skill of this secret language, which would offer me strength and solace for a lifetime.  And although I was writing in Nüshu, for some reason, I signed with flourish in Chinese: Wǒ Lián.  I am Lian. 我连

  

  Author’s bio

Nina Romano earned an M.F.A. in Creative Writing from FIU. She’s a world traveler and lover

of history.  She lived in Rome, Italy, for twenty years, and is fluent in Italian and Spanish. She

authored a short story collection, The Other Side of the Gates, four poetry collections, and two

chapbooks. A fifth collection is forthcoming from LLC Red Dashboard.  Romano has been

nominated twice for the Pushcart Prize.  Her Wayfarer Trilogy is forthcoming from Turner

Publishing.  The first historical novel of the saga: The Secret Language of Women will be

published in September 2015.  More about the author at: www.ninaromano.com