You probably heard before that in any given scene you need character, your ancestor, of course, and setting, but what else? Are you locking down all 6 key components in your scenes. Scenes are so very important to our family history stories, and understanding these 6 components will go along way to getting it right and engaging your reader. Watch the video lesson below and start crafting scenes that will entertain and engage your reader.
6 Crucial Components for Crafting a Family History Scene
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How to Write a SceneHow to Write a Scene
We think in scenes all the time.
Take a moment, remember a childhood memory or last week’s business meeting or playing with your children last night, or the family dinner on Sunday evening. These scenes play out like little movies in your head. There are characters, and in a place, a time, and something is happening, conversations are had. As the writer, you are the director re-creating the moments of your ancestor’s life in words, like a movie, vivid, colourful, playing out for the reader on the page.
All scenes contain various elements that contribute to making the scene alive and vibrant for the reader. Let’s break a scene down to see what makes it so special.
The Elements of a Good Scene
Time – The reader should be thrust into a specific time and day, so the reader is immediately oriented with the time frame of the scene. If you don’t your reader is quickly confused and lost.
Setting – Again, much like time you also want to familiarize your reader quickly into the place of your scene. In order for the reader to see the scene play out they need to understand the surroundings and be able to place your ancestor within their surroundings.
Action – Something happens in the scene that propels the plotline forward. Your scenes must have action; they must bring about conflict.
Dialogue – Someone speaks. Dialogue can reveal plot, the conflicts but also helps us understand our ancestor’s character.
Vivid Description- In order for your reader, to see the scene play out like a movie it must have very specific and detailed description.
Imagery – To bring the scene to life, the writer must use all their senses, touch, taste, sight, smell, and hearing. However, don’t overload your scene. As the writer, you must decide what you want to bring through in your writing. Don’t pile up your writing with description and imagery and let the reader try to figure it out.
POV- The reader needs to have a clear understanding of who is speaking.
Figurative Language- Similes and metaphors are often used to help create visual images for the reader. It helps to create images for the reader, to make your writing more memorable.
Beginning, Middle and End – Just like our story each scene needs a beginning, middle and end. The end needs to propel us on in the story to the next scene. The beginning draws us in, the middle gives us the guts of the scene, the conflict, the end offers a resolution or not but offers up tension that propels the reader on to the next scene.
Purpose – A scene must serve the story. It must somehow be relevant to the goal of your ancestor. If it does not serve the goal of your ancestor, it has no reason to be in the story.
You want your scenes to be entertaining. This is another one of those moments when you will have to tap into the creative side of your brain. You have to breathe some spirit into a scene. How do we do that? Again this comes from practice and time and by reading the works of other great authors and learning from them, recognize how they craft scenes and practice writing scenes of your own.
Coming in September!
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I’m a retired teacher and part of the U.S. National Writing Project. I run a genealogy writing workshop for my club. Your presentation was wonderfully concise and informative.
Thank You Lynn for the excellent advice. In the past I had over a few years compiled true stories of my childhood and what it was like growing up in the 1950’s under dire circumstances due to the downturn in the economy and its effects on families. In order to get his down fast before I forget some critical details, I quickly wrote it all down in increments such as episodes/stories of each scene as the occurred chronologically (using my memories at that time). However, after hearing your advice today, I realize that I had written some as you suggested that of setting up that particular scene and so on. Because I chose to write as my memories came through when writing about this life, I now have pages upon pages of episodes or scenes to connect together. The only way I did that was just to continue on as I remember in sequence of the events as they occurred. I have put everything aside for the summer months as I am to have surgery for now and will resume writing in the Fall as that seems to be the time that I feel greatest in tackling this in increments without disturbing my routines in everyday life. Sometimes as I sit in silence a flood of the past come forward to remind me to write about that particular event, but I keep it in the background to bring it up later when in writing mode. The most important thing right now for me is to get this down in writing before it gets lost in oblivion. At present I have too many things to handle, but I am handling them one at a time and so it goes with my writing as well. In the end I will have the task of stitching it all together into a complete descriptive narrative that is ready for publication. I enjoy your videos however finances and health problems deter me at the moment. I await until all is ready to continue with my lifelong story that in the end enabled me to become that much stronger for it.
I love it. I would give anything to have the physical strength and finances to attend one of these retreats. I even have a passport from when I was going to visit a friend in Canada before Covid! But, I will have to be content with moments like these that encourage and inspire me onward. Thanks Lynn.
I really enjoy your weekly additions! You make writing sound exciting.