#18: Memorable Scenes
Monday's here and I'm back with more Creating Comics! I'm continuing my discussion of writing process. I want to remind readers that this column is a place where I share things I've found out about writing comics. When I give a tip or a suggestion, it's because it's something that works for me. In no way am I suggesting that my way is the only way or even the right way. Part of becoming a serious writer is going on your own search for improvement. So I encourage you to take everything you read from me or anyone else with a grain of salt. If it helps you, great! If you disagree, at least you're thinking about craft. Now, let's talk about, THE SCENE.
When we remember
movies we've enjoyed or comic books we couldn't put down, even the great ones,
it usually is not the entire story from start to finish we recall. What we
remember are scenes. Want your creative works to move people and stick in
their heads long after they've put down the page or left the theaters? It's
actually pretty simple. Fill your writing with a series of strong scenes and
before you know it, you're going to have a story people remember and can't stop
talking about.
Before continuing, let's talk briefly about what a scene is. The simple
definition: a scene is where something specific happens- in a specific
place, at a specific time. Remember that. Place and time.
Two things every scene must have. If you change either place or time, guess
what? You have a new scene.
Generally, there are two types of scenes. Action scenes (chases, fights,
sex, etc.) and dialogue scenes (on the phone, over coffee, in bed, etc.)
Most scenes in comics and film are a combination of the two. Regardless of the
type, the purpose of every scene is to move your story forward.
That's it. Simple right?
To illustrate the concepts and suggestions for crafting your scenes, I've
included two very memorable scenes from good movies. These scenes are very
different and the movies are very different, but in terms of scene structure and
craft, they are very much the same. So grab your popcorn, watch them both, and
we'll then we'll continue. Sound good?
Scene 1 - Suicide Kings (1997)
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Scene 2 - When Harry Met Sally (1989)
Enjoy those? Good. Now let's deconstruct.
Why are these great scenes? Well, yes, the acting was strong. Dennis Leary and
Meg Ryan both completely stole their scenes with strong performances. And
certainly the dialogue was very well written. "...or me and Mickey Mantle are
gonna pay you a visit." Awesome. (We're going to talk more about crafting
strong dialogue in a future column.) Still, there's more at play here than sharp
dialogue and strong performances. How can we craft scenes this strong? Here are
some tips.
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First, start with CONTEXT. The first thing to determine when drafting a scene is the purpose of the scene in your story. How is it moving the story forward? When and where does it take place? What characters are in the scene, and what are they doing there. This is the scene's context. For most scenes, you can sum up the context in a sentence or two.
In the Suicide Kings scene, the context is that Dennis Leary's character needs to find the woman in order to help track down his kidnapped boss. In When Harry Met Sally, the context is that Harry and Sally's relationship changes when Harry sees her in a new, more sexual light. -
Now develop the CONTENT. What aspects of your character's lives do you want to reveal in the scene? How are you going to reveal them? What are you actually going to show? What is the most interesting and appealing way you can deliver what needs to happen to move your story along (the context) to your audience?
In Harry, it's not just Billy Crystal who is surprised. This is the first time the audience gets to see the sexual side of cute-as-a-button Meg Ryan as well. Dramatically and comically, the best way to reveal that was to have her fake an orgasm in public. Yup, that gets the job done. In Kings, we get a bit of insight into Leary's character's past. Up until this point in the movie, we've seen Leary get very angry and threaten violence, but we've also seen him be charitable, and not actually commit any violent acts. Interestingly enough, his first response isn't to resort to violence, he actually sympathizes with the guy. But all the while, the audience suspects that if pushed, Leary's character is one who could fly off the handle. But none of us saw the toaster coming.
Two scenes. Each very different. Both extremely memorable. Here are a few more tips to keep in mind when crafting your scenes. -
All scenes need to turn. "Turning" is a phrase used a lot in storytelling. It's actually quite a simple concept, in that something specific should change in every scene you write. Think about the specific value at stake for the characters in your story. It could be love, forgiveness, revenge, you name it. Think about how that value is charged at the beginning of the scene (positive, negative, a little of both?) Then think about how that value is charged at the end of the scene? If the value remains unchanged from start to finish, then the scene has not turned. It's a non-event. And you'll need to ask yourself, why is this scene in my story?
Usually, when you have a scene that doesn't turn the answer to why it's in your story is for the purpose of exposition. (ex. This is the scene where I reveal that Jack's dog was killed when he was six.) Professional writers know that that exposition by itself is not a good enough reason to include a scene. If the exposition is important, a good writer will find a way to include it amid the action of a scene that turns.
What turns in the scene from Harry? The scene starts with a confident and cocky Billy Crystal, gabbing casually about his one-night stand and sexual prowess, once again seeming to win an argument with Meg Ryan. But once she fakes her O, the tables turn completely. She wins the argument that women can fake believably and Billy Crystal is left speechless. The scene opens advantage Crystal. It closes advantage Ryan. This is a scene that turns. -
Scenes are unified around "Desire, Action, Conflict, and Change." This is a gem from Robert McKee, and worth remembering. If all of your scenes involve a character with a strong external or internal need or want (desire), who takes dramatic steps to achieve that want (action), meets formidable resistance to attaining that goal (conflict), and his internal or external course is altered because of it (change), you're going to have compelling scenes.
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Foreshadowing is a powerful tool. Whether you're writing for comedy or drama, it's necessary that you set up your scenes. Lew Hunter says, "Anticipation is often as wonderful, or as suspenseful, as the realization of the end result." Foreshadowing is to storytelling what foreplay is to sex. In Suicide Kings, the toaster scene was foreshadowed by Leary's earlier interaction with a bum who asked him for money. At first, Leary gave the bum some money, but when the bum pushed his luck, Leary got enraged and almost killed the guy, only to be stopped by his partner. Later, in the scene above, when the dirty old man tells him off, the audience knows there is no one to stop Leary from bringing the pain on this man, and we cringe with anticipation, even before we see him wrap the toaster around his hands.
-
Memorable scenes have "toppers."
Toppers are the closing lines or actions that add one last bit of punch or umph
to the scenes. So many great scenes have them that it's worth considering adding
them to your key scenes. In Harry, the topper is the old lady,
having watched Meg Ryan in awe, tell the waiter, "I'll have what she's
having." Funny, and the most memorable line from the movie. (And,
interestingly enough, this line was not in the screenplay, but added on set,
suggested by the talented Mr. Crystal.) And how about the Suicide Kings
line? "Sorry about the toaster." After such a brutal scene,
it's amazing how one line can induce a chuckle. And it makes the scene all the
more memorable.
While I've yet to craft a scene as great as the two scenes above in my comics
work, I'd like to illustrate how I've been trying to follow these principles.
What follows is a short two page scene from my online graphic novel
Over. In the scene, three boys MATT, SOOTCH,
and TROY, have lost their football in the neighbor's yard, which is guarded by
BRUTUS, a mean old dog. Sootch, a tiny Asian, is tasked with retrieving it.
Now, let's review my scene by running through my scene tip checklist...
- Did the scene turn? Yup, at the start, the boys were scared and without
the ball. At the end they retrieved the ball and were elated.
- Was there a strong desire or want? Yeah. The ball. (Okay, it's not life
or death stuff, but they're kids.)
- Was there action? Yes, Sootch, though reluctant, took up the challenge
of recovering the ball, and barely got out of there with his skin (or his
shorts.)
- Was there conflict? The angry Brutus definitely brought the conflict.
- Was there change? Sure, they now have the ball. Also worth noting, up
until this point in the script had been bagged on repeatedly for being a lousy
athlete, and has been the butt of several jokes. Here though, he finally gets to
be a bit of a hero.
- Was this scene foreshadowed? Kind of.
We saw a beware of dog sign earlier in the script, and when the ball was
lost over the fence initially, the look of fear on Matt's face suggested it was
going to be trouble.
- Was there a topper? Certainly. Troy's line at the end adds a little
punctuation point to the scene, and is a nice counterpoint to Troy's first
comment
earlier in the comic, about how there will never be an Asian quarterback in
the NFL.
Is this the greatest scene in the world? No. It's actually a fairly small scene
in the graphic novel. Still, for a small scene, it follows the conventions that
have proven to make scenes memorable. Now, do all the scenes in my comic pass
this litmus test? Hmm...that I'm not sure about. Should they? Most definitely.
Alright that's it for scenes. Next week, I'm going to be using this column to post some answers to interesting questions about creating comics I've been getting from various people over the past couple of months. If you have any questions or topics you'd like to hear my take on, don't hesitate to email me at tylerjamescomics@gmail.com. See you next week.
NEXT: Mailbag
Tyler James is a comics creator residing in Newburyport, Massachusetts. He writes and draws Over, a romantic comedy online graphic novel updating every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. He also writesTears of the Dragon, an epic fantasy webcomic that updates on Thurdays. His work has been featured on Zuda Comics, and includes Interrogation Control Element, a political action thriller, and Super Seed, the story of the world's first super powered fertility clinic. When not making comics, Tyler works as a game designer and content producer for a software company..
Contact Tyler directly at
tylerjamescomics@gmail.com, keep up with him at his blog, or follow him on Twitter.
Previous Columns
1: Big Goals
2: Resolutions
3: The Great Idea
4: Research Part I
5: Research Part II
6: The Killer Pitch Part I - The High Concept
7: The Killer Pitch Part II - The Synopsis
8: Pay Your Artists
9: Zuda Comics - A Tale of Five Submissions
10: Creating Great Characters Part I (Or Why Wolverine is Everywhere)
11: Creating Great Characters Part II (Or Why Wolverine is Everywhere)
12: Structurally Sound- The Beginning
14: Structurally Sound- The Middle
15: Structurally Sound- The End
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