Scene Balance

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Writing your first draft of a story is worth celebrating. Next comes revision. This can seem like a big task but when you break it into logical steps, it will not only become easier to do but can save you precious time. Checking scene balance is checking the pace of the scene and comes after the large picture or whole story edit but before the line edit. By the time you are ready to tackle checking your scene balance, you already know that the overall story follows a complete character arc. Now, you are ready to see if each individual scene has the right balance to keep the reader turning pages.

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Scenes are the mini-stories that make up the overall story. Each scene should have a specific purpose so that it moves the story forward. And just like your story has a beginning, middle, and end, so does each scene. Each scene should also be balanced for reader enjoyment.

If a scene has too much dialogue, then it might be a sign that the setting is lacking description and readers do not know what to picture. Imagine if the scene was all action, then the reader would not know what the character is thinking and feeling.

What should be included for good scene balance? You need a balance of these essential 5 things to keep the readers interest in your story:

Description, Dialogue, Action, Thoughts, and Reactions

How can I check for Scene Balance?

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How to — For checking scene balance, print and highlight the different types of text (dialogue, description, actions, thoughts, reactions) with different color highlighters. This allows you to see patterns in the colors and make adjustments.

This shows you where and what to add to create balance in the scene.

I am an action writer (and reader) so my scenes are dialogue, action, and plot heavy. Highlighting shows me where I need more narrative, description, and character interiority.

𝑩𝒐𝒏𝒖𝒔 𝑻𝒊𝒑 — To study scene balance in published books, I will use this same technique of highlighting different types of text with different colors in old books I purchase from my local used book store.