Chapter 4 - Scene & Structure
If stories are made up of scenes, what are scenes made up of? According to Jack Bickham in his book, Scene & Structure, scenes start with a character’s stated goal and rumble through an evolving conflict until they reach … a disaster. In this episode, we examine each of these elements and test Bickham’s assertions using Real Book examples. Then, for true illumination, we Bickhamize our own scenes.
But before we delve into the nitty gritty, we have a delightful interview with Susan Tunis of Bookshop West Portal.
Like the content of this episode but still not sure exactly how to make a scene? check out our show notes below for more examples.
The Writing Exercise
Revise your scene to include a scene goal, conflict, and tactical disaster. Alternatively, you can choose from this practice list of scene goals. In a few paragraphs, describe the nature of the opposition, the key steps of the conflict conflict, and devise a solid disaster.
The Bikham vs Gardner Scene Showdown (on ESPN)
And in this corner, with 75 published novels to his name, the man with all the bullet points, author of the relatively unknown craft book Scene & Structure, JACK BIKHAM!
“A segment of story action, written moment-by-moment, without summary, presented onstage in the story ‘now.’ It is not something that goes inside the character’s head; it is physical. It could be put on the theater stage and acted out” (23).
And in this corner, with three published novels and a craft book everyone recommends but nobody reads; The Ultimate Gate Keeper Supreme, JOHN GARDNER!
“By scene we mean here all that is included in an unbroken flow of action from one incident in time to another…The action within a scene is “unbroken” in the sense that it does not include a major time lapse or a leap from one setting to another–though the characters may, of course, walk or ride from one place to another without braking the scene, the camera, so to speak, dollying after them The action within a scene need not be “unbroken” in the sense that it includes flashbacks or brief authorial interruptions for background explanation. The scene is not broken, in other words, when a character’s mind drifts from present surrounding to some earlier scene, which is then vividly set before us for the time the flashback lasts.”
Bikham's Scene Pattern
King of the Bullet Points Bikham says a scene requires the following:
- Goal
- Conflict
- Tactical Disaster
Story Goal Vs. Scene Goal
Story Goal: What your protagonist hopes to acheive by the end, which usually involves righting the protagonists self concept.
Scene Goal: Just like a Story Goal, the protagonist makes the goal clear at the beginning of the scene by announcing it in some way.
This is the first step in making a ‘prototypical scene.’ Once the goal is stated, the reader will then translate the scene goal into a question (Scene Question). Similar to a video game. Smaller bosses lead to bigger bosses, which lead to the ultimate boss.
Scene Conflict
Scene Conflict: Every scene or dialogue should have conflict. For the plot to progress, the character has to fight for what they want.
However, Bikham warns us to avoid circular non-development. Essentially, the stakes have to increase throughout the scene or the protagonist and antagonist become immoveable, contradictory forces that argue ad infinitum. Like in this Monty Python sketch:
Like the Academic Arguments Renee teaches her Intro to Comp students, scenes have to evolve past “I’m right, you’re wrong.” Black and white, yes/no thinking is not real conflict, nor does it a convincing argument make.
Not sure if your characters are trapped in the infinite loop of non-development doom? Kim says if your scene “makes readers want to toss the book across the room” then you’re probably in trouble.
The Tactical Disaster (Yes, But / No, And)
Ok, quick question. Do you like causing pain and suffering? Just asking for a friend. Because that’s the kind of masochistic mindset you have to adopt to be a writer. You can’t let your protagonist off that easy.
Tactical Disaster: (no, not that tactical disaster). Your scene ends with the protagonist either achieving (sort of not really) or failing their scene goal. For the plot to develop, to move forward, you have to drag your character backwards. Bikham calls this the No, And or Yes, But endings.
Ripley vs. Weyland Corp
For the purposes of illustration, check out this scene from Aliens. For those who haven’t seen it lately, Ripley wakes up from cryo 57 years after the events of Alien. She’s forced to give her report to the Weyland Corporation, who hired her to captain the ship, the Nostromo, which she blew up to kill the alien that killed her crew.
Ripley, the protagonist, says the Scene Goal out loud: “How many times do I have to tell you” (what happened to the Nostromo and the crew on the planet). Story Question: Will she be able to convince, and also warn the Weyland Corporation about the Alien threat?
Conflict: The board members refuse to believe her. Note how the argument evolves. First, she gives her account of what happened during the first film, then they give her ‘proof’ that contradicts her account of events. She tells them why she had to destroy the ship. But then they say it cost them millions of dollars. The stakes increase; the Conflict EVOLVES. She loses her temper and they refuse to take her seriously.
Tactical disaster: No, And (And, And). They do not believe her AND they take away her flight license AND require her to seek psychological evaluation AND tell her 60-70 families of colonists are currently on the planet.
Note how without the And, the plot couldn’t move forward. It isn’t even until the very last And when Ripley learns there are colonists that she even has a reason to go back to the planet. Without that last And, the film would end (or it couldn’t be called Aliens). The plot couldn’t advance. And we’d never see Ripley body slam the Alien Queen.
Charmain vs. The Hairpins
During the episode, Kim reads this scene from the sequel to Howl’s Moving Castle, House of Many Ways. See if you can spot the Scene Goal (Scene Question), Conflict, and Tactical Disaster. (No, And / Yes, But)
When she came to do her hair, Charmain discovered that all of the hairpins she usually put it up with seemed to have vanished, probably during her dive off the cliff. All she had left was a ribbon. Mother always insisted that respectable girls needed to have their hair in a neat knot on top of their heads. Chairman had never worn her hair any other way.
“Oh, well,” she said to her reflection in the neat little mirror, “Mother’s not here, is she? And she did her hair in a fat plait over one shoulder and fastened it with the ribbon. Like that, she thought her reflection looked nicer than usual, fuller in the face and less thin and grumpy.
-Diana Wynne Jones, from House of Many Ways
References from the Episode
- Monty Python’s Flying Circus
- House of Many Ways by Diana Wynne Jones
- Redshirts by John Scalzi
- Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail by Cheryl Strayed
- Breaking Bad by Vince Gilligan
- Faulty Towers
- The Dutch House (Renee accidently called it “The Blue House”) by Ann Patchett
- Hail Mary by Andy Weir
Continuing the Argument: Genre vs Literary Fiction
Tribute: Diana Wynne Jones
A beloved writer of speculative fiction, Diana Wynne Jones (1934-2011) was born in London. While at St. Anne’s College in Oxford, she attended lectures by both C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien. Many writers, such as Megan Whalen Turner, Philip Pullman, Penelope Lively, Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett, have all cited Jones as inspirations. She won the Mythopoeic Award seven times, and both a World Fantasy Award and British Fantasy Award twice. She is the author of Howl’s Moving Castle, the first book in a trilogy.
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