The DNA of Story

Chapters 1-6 from Make A Scene by Jordan Rosenfeld,

Welcome to the Marginalia Book Club!

This is where we dive into craft books for writers in order to improve our techniques. Think of it as the notes scribbled in the margins, shared among friends who are passionate about storytelling.

Each post will cover specific sections of our current book, with thoughts, questions, and a space for discussion. Whether you're reading along or just curious, I hope you’ll find something to spark your imagination and deepen your understanding of the writing craft.

Here’s the upcoming schedule for the rest of this book:

• Week 2, January 28, 2025: Chapters 7 - 13

• Week 3, February 4, 2025: Chapters 14 - 18

• Week 4: February 11, 2025: Chapters 19 - end

We’ll be gathering together on Zoom on Saturday, February 15, 2025 at 12pm ET. You can register for free here to grab the link.

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Now, let’s dig into today’s focus: Chapters 1-6 from Make a Scene by Jordan Rosenfeld (Bookshop | Amazon).

Chapter 1: The Functions of a Scene

One reason I was interested in checking out this book is that while it’s obvious that scenes are the building blocks of fiction, I've always been a little squishy on what exactly a scene is.

There are so many definitions. ‘A story action that takes place in a discrete time and place’ is one take on the scene. ‘Anything in between the scene breaks of your novel’ is another point of view. But what happens when, for example, two characters are having a conversation in one room that unfolds over three chapters?

For Robert McKee, author of Story, a scene comprises an action that changes, or “turns the value” of a character. For Dominick Swain, author of Techniques of the Selling Writer, a scene is made up of a goal, conflict, and a disaster, and is then followed by a sequel. Other writing teachers will have their own definitions.

Amidst all this confusion, I really appreciate the clarity of Rosenfeld’s statement

Scenes are the essential DNA of story: They are the individual “cells” of information that shape the essence of the story…

Her list of scene ingredients feels comprehensive and works really well as a checklist. Of course, with the caveat that like with any recipe, sometimes you’ll need to freestyle a bit.

Chapter 2: Strong Scene Launches

I’m a big fan of the term “launch” as opposed to “beginning”. It’s a more vibrant and specific way of thinking about how to enter the scene.

The word beginning is a bit confusing since some scenes pick up in the midst of an action or continue where other actions left off; so I prefer to use the term launch, which more clearly suggests the place where the reader’s attention is engaged anew.

Of the three types of launches mentioned in this chapter: action, narrative, and setting, the latter is my least favorite. My mind wandered even while reading the example she provided. I know that this shows up in my writing since, unless the setting is having a specific impact on the characters, I tend to give it short shrift.

This does have me consciously thinking more about the ways I choose to enter my scenes. It's usually an entirely subconscious process, but being more intentional about it could be helpful.

📢 When does a scene stop and start for you? Do you consciously or unconsciously manipulate the pacing of your stories by varying scene length? Let’s discuss in the comments.

Chapter 3: Powerful Scene Middles

Whether they’re called progressive complications and turning points, or conflict and disasters, the elements of a scene middle are where the bulk of the action takes place. Turning up the heat on your characters and making things worse for them were some of the early writing lessons I had to master to take my work to the next level.

Some of the questions to ask if you get bogged down in the middle are what is the purpose of this scene? Why is it in the book? How do these actions directly grow out of what came before?

Chapter 4: Successful Scene Endings

Another important part of pacing a story is how you end the scenes. My goal is to, as much as possible, write page-turning novels. I'd love to keep readers up all night. The momentum through the story, influenced in large part by the endings of each scene and chapter, contributes to this effect.

Many writers try to end each chapter with a cliffhanger. This feels a little stressful to me. I liked how she identified other ways to end a chapter, such as focusing on emotional intimacy (zooming in) or focusing on providing emotional relief after a heightened chapter or scene (zooming out).

Chapter 5: Setting

In my workshop, Worldbuilding For Any Genre, I differentiate setting from worldbuilding. Here she groups them both together, which is something that many writers do. As a reader, I'm a big skimmer of descriptions. As I mentioned, descriptions of settings tend to bore me and so I think the key point here is that they need to have a purposeful impact on the characters and plot.

The example selection from The God Of Small Things honestly felt overwritten and purple to me. The only sample that really resonated for me was the excerpt from Perfume: The Story Of A Murderer, which seems to set the stage and introduce the character in a powerful, integrated way.

The difference, I think, is the narrative voice. Maybe because that passage is describing a lesser used sense in literature — scent — it pulled me in more, and was more interesting.

The section on objects reminded me of the concept of a MacGuffin in films. Think: the statue in The Maltese Falcon or that glowing briefcase in Pulp Fiction. These are significant objects that push the plot forward but ultimately aren't important in and of themselves. To the point where it doesn't really matter what's in that briefcase. It's only important that multiple characters want it and are willing to do quite a bit to get it.

These objects are a part of the worldbuilding and should be well integrated to the story and characters.

Chapter 6: The Senses

How you utilize the five senses in your writing is largely dependent on the type of writer you are and your personal preferences. For example, I don't spend a lot of time describing clothing, unless it's relevant and important. However, many other writers really love taking the time to give you a tour of a character’s entire outfit.

Another thing I don't particularly care that much about is food. (I can see the pitchforks coming for me in the distance.) However, if I were to write a character who is very food motivated—perhaps they dealt with food insecurity as a child, or are struggling with an eating disorder, or are training to become a chef— then the story and character would require far more elaborate descriptions of food and eating than I usually write. But in general, people in my books eat to live, the way that I do.

I'll admit, this is a blind spot of mine and something I could pay more attention to. But again, I tend to skim descriptions of food in the books I read, and so I don't spend a lot of time on them in my own writing.

📢 Are there senses for which you have blind spots? Are there things that annoy you when reading that you also omit from your own writing?

Leave a comment to join in the discussion!

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Bonus Materials

Imaginary Best Friends, head here to download the bonus worksheet for this section!

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