Scene Book Tips: Plotting, Writing Advice & Pantser Agenda

Name: Scene Book Tips: Plotting, Writing Advice & Pantser Agenda
Uploaded: 2023-07-06 12:46:07
Description: Creating a scene book can help writers focus, organize, and advance their story, making the writing process more manageable and adaptable to individual storytelling preferences.

This article is a summary of a YouTube video "how to make a scene book | plotting tips, writing advice, & demolishing the pantser agenda📝" by rachel moore

TLDR Creating a scene book can help writers focus, organize, and advance their story, making the writing process more manageable and adaptable to individual storytelling preferences.

Key insights

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"I had read craft books. I have a degree in creative writing and I was just like man. I straight up have no idea what. I'm doing like. I don't know how to write books no matter how hard. I try uh spoiler note. I now know how to write books."
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A scene book is a helpful plotting tool that can be used with any structure, allowing writers to focus, stay on track, and effectively move from the planning stage to the drafting stage.
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Seeing only one page at a time is crucial for the scene book to be effective, according to the speaker.
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Knowing the beginning, middle, and end of your story, as well as the catalyst, midpoint, and emotional through line, is crucial for effectively creating a scene book.
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Structuring a scene book with specific scenes that have a cause and effect relationship between each other can help keep the story moving and make all the pieces fit into place.
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The act overview in a scene book is crucial for visualizing the entire book and avoiding the need to constantly refer to separate pages or documents.
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Each scene in a story should serve a specific purpose and contribute to the main character's emotional arc.
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Understanding and digging into the outline of a story, whether through a scene book or another method, is crucial for writers to effectively develop their story.

Timestamped Summary

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00:00
The speaker discusses their love for plotting and the difficulty they faced in transitioning from planning to drafting, but eventually found a plan that worked for them, including the use of a scene book for focus and organization in the writing process.
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02:30
The speaker emphasizes the importance of using a specific notebook and sticky notes for creating a scene book, while also discussing their preference for tape and the Save the Cat beat sheet for planning.
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05:50
To create a scene book, have a finished outline and understand the story structure, with act two being the largest and most intimidating.
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07:52
The speaker structures their book with five chapters, each containing three specific scenes that have a cause and effect relationship, and discusses setting word count goals for each scene and chapter to make the writing process more manageable and adaptable to individual storytelling preferences.
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09:50
The first page of a scene book should serve as a table of contents for all scenes and chapters, allowing for easy reference and highlighting pivotal plot moments, while the speaker explains their method of organizing scenes using a steno book and sticky notes.
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11:33
Create a scene book to focus on one scene at a time, ensuring each scene advances the main character's emotional arc and removing any that don't contribute to it.
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14:07
Developing a scene book helps you understand your story and characters better, avoids distractions, and allows easy access to your outline wherever you go.
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15:25
The speaker asks for comments, likes, and subscriptions, and says that's all they have for today.