{"id":2914,"date":"2015-04-03T03:00:15","date_gmt":"2015-04-03T03:00:15","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/Jack-M-Bickham-Scene-and-Structure-Chapter-9-Variations"},"modified":"2015-04-03T03:00:15","modified_gmt":"2015-04-03T03:00:15","slug":"jack-m-bickham-scene-and-structure-chapter-9-variations","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/csidemedia.com\/mikerm\/2015\/04\/03\/jack-m-bickham-scene-and-structure-chapter-9-variations\/","title":{"rendered":"Jack M. Bickham, Scene & Structure, Chapter 9: Variations"},"content":{"rendered":" \n

Jack M. Bickham, Scene & Structure<\/em>, Chapter 9: Variations<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bickham’s advice is to plan your book in the “classic structure” of scenes alternating with sequels, with all the parts in order, and then introduce variations as needed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For example, you can interrupt a conflict with a different scene (that is, different action in which there’s a different goal), in order to realign a character’s motivation so that they will make a decision they otherwise might not.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can jump into the middle of the scene and supply the goal later, or imply the disaster. Do this sparingly, as a way of increasing the pace.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Your characters’ internalisations will naturally try to become mid-scene sequels if the stimulus is powerful enough to throw them into deep reflection. As a rule, resist this, but allow it if it’s needed to explain a major change of direction by the character, to get the reader in tune with the character, or to work in important backstory. Just watch for the “talking is a free action” or “comics dialog while falling” phenomenon, where the internalisation goes on for pages in supposedly a moment of time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can stretch or compress the sequel components, or even change the order a bit. Or you can interrupt the sequel with an unexpected scene if you don’t want the character working out the answer just yet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Always remember to return to and complete the classic structure before moving on. Don’t leave the reader hanging.\ufeff<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

#sceneandstructure<\/p>\n\n ","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Jack M. Bickham, Scene & Structure, Chapter 9: Variations
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