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Setting the scene.

Svrtnsse

Staff
Article Team
I recently started writing on my first bigger project. I'm writing it scene by scene and I find that for each and every scene I spend an extraordinary amount of time on the first few paragraphs. This is where I describe the setting of the scene and I try to give the reader as much of a feel for the situation as possible in as few words as possible.

Once these first paragraphs are done the rest comes relatively quickly and easily. It's just the starting bit that takes the most time. My concern with this is that it gets too formulaic and disrupts the overall flow of the story. With every scene following pretty much the same pattern with first the setup and then the action, it may feel to a reader as if they're reading a series of short stories instead of one continuous story - a little bit like watching a TV series instead of a movie.

Are there any things I should look out for in particular with this or is it just something I have to keep in mind and paying attention to while putting it all together? What are you guys doing to avoid ending up like this, or is it even an issue at all?
 

A. E. Lowan

Forum Mom
Leadership
As much work as you've been putting in, you are about to hate my guts. What you want to be doing is drawing in the reader. Travelogues to not do that. The best formula for this is action - scene set-up - more action - more scene set-up. Please. more established writers, correct me if it's wrong. You want to create the question, then answer it, create another question, and answer that one. No one cares where the birds are flying or how nice the flowers look. Give us a reason to care from the first question. Make us turn those pages.
 

Svrtnsse

Staff
Article Team
Good point. The plot so far isn't very exciting and there's very little actual action, but I'm sure if I keep it in mind I can try some different hooks to get the reader into the new scene more easily.
 

teacup

Auror
I agree with A.E.Lowan. Description and scene setting should run smoothly with the rest of the story, not be blocked off as their own part, I think. You'd want scene setting happening during the story, rather than: Scene setting - scene setting finished - story time.
 

Svrtnsse

Staff
Article Team
Aye, make sense. I'll try and work it in.
I guess the story being slow doesn't mean the writing has to be.
 

Alex97

Troubadour
I remember showing a friend the beginning of a chapter, the first two paragraphs of which were descriptions of countryside that set the scene. My friend said it was boring but I was pleased with the description so I spread it our in the chapter instead of two massive blocks of info dumping. The writing flowed better and the scene setting enhanced the action instead of detracting from it. The work you've done setting the scene isn't in vain, it probably just needs re positioning and spreading out.

Scene setting should be a part of the action and dialogue not a separate introduction. For example, instead of describing how gloomy a room is at the start of a scene, maybe describe how a character can't see the face of the person to clearly.

You might also want to try starting chapters differently. Start with dialogue or action - mix it up a bit. Like A. E. Lowan said, you need to hook the reader.
 
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