Four questions to ask about every scene in your story:
What does my character want at this moment?
Who is driving the scene and making things happen?
What is stopping the character from getting what she wants?
In every scene, readers are looking for something that builds to the final turning point (the climax). The more important the scene, the longer/more detailed it should be.
In this scene, did I create change in the character's life?
If the answers to these four questions are clearly defined: Congrats! Your scene works.
If there's some hesitation or confusion, nail down the responses to these questions and then work your way back through the scene, strengthening it where necessary.
And finally, if you can't answer these questions at all, it's time for a scene overhaul.
Be Brilliant!
~Katie~
