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Flashback Friday Book Review: Scene & Structure

Book Review Scene & Structure

John Miles Bickham is a professor and an accomplished genre fiction writer having published over 80 novels, including westerns, mysteries, and thrillers. However, his major claims to fame are his instructional books on the craft of writing. The most popular of which is Scene and Structure. This book reads like a textbook for the advanced writer but has lessons that are vital for the beginner. Bickham covers why story structure is important, how to start a story, why cause and effect rule the day, and how to manipulate the elements of a scene. All of this information is vital to the budding fiction writer, so in summarizing the material, I hope to provide a roadmap that will lead others to this fantastic book.

Why is Structure Important?

Scene and Structure opens with this vital question and wastes no time answering it. According to Bickham, “Structure is nothing more than a way of looking at your story material so that it’s organized in a way that’s both logical and dramatic” (1). Structure gives our stories shape and provides clarity. Readers use structure as a guide to a visceral reaction. Writers use structure as a guide to plot. Therefore, learning scene structure is important because scenes are the main component of our novels. Recognizing the components of a scene will lead to understanding plot development. The principles that connect line to line, scene to scene, and chapter to chapter are the same. The bulk of Bickham’s book deals with giving writers the secret logic behind these connections – a logic that begins with five simple steps and ends with the principle of causation.

How to Start and End Your Story

Bickham has a succinct but powerful five-point strategy for starting and ending a story. I’ve boiled it down even further: Start the story in the seconds before a life-altering change occurs. Give the audience a story question to worry about (i.e. a problem to solve or challenge to overcome). Make sure everything flows back to the story question. Resolve the story question at the end so that the audience does not feel cheated.

Elements of a Scene

“What is a scene? It’s a segment of story action, written moment-by-moment, without summary, presented onstage in the story ‘now.’ It is not something that goes on inside a character’s head; it is physical” (23). A basic scene begins with the protagonist or point of view character moving toward a situation with a definitive goal, which on the surface appears achievable and acts as the main question for the scene. Will Jenny reach Goal X? This scene question or goal must also relate to the overall story question and must be immediate enough to answer with a simple “yes” or “no.” According to Bickham, both the scene question and the story question must be relatable to the audience and must be important. In addition, a character’s failure to attain the scene goal must have immediate consequences.

A scene grows out of the author placing obstacles between the character and goal achievement – a/k/a conflict. This can be in the form of situations or another person – a/k/a the antagonist. Bickham notes that conflict reveals character and to some extent creates it based on how a character reacts to adversity. Conflict should align with the scene goal and should not rely on a linear attack. Make the conflict multifaceted by having the viewpoint character and the antagonist altering their tactics, shifting their approaching, revising their logic, and escalating their efforts. The struggle to overcome conflict ultimately leads to disaster so that the POV character must realign his goal for the next scene, thus, preparing (through the reflective process of the sequel, which I’ll describe later) to face a new conflict and disaster.

Disaster, in Bickham’s book, is defined by a failure to achieve the scene question or goal in such a way that the character is left to ponder a result of “no,” “yes, but” or “no, and furthermore.” Therefore, true scene-ending disasters cannot be arbitrary occurrences such as a tornado or a heart attack. Since the disaster must evolve logically from the story question, a simple “yes” will never do. An easily achieved goal ends the story too soon and does not make interesting drama. However, if a character faces a roadblock and must regroup (“no”); or if she is given the greenlight but also must face a dangerous sacrifice or an ethical choice (“yes, but”); or if she has been thwarted and given another burden (“no, and furthermore”), the story becomes intriguing because the consequences of the disaster are clearly defined.

The writer should not fix or undo the disaster in the subsequent scene because the reader develops sympathy for the viewpoint character as she tries and fails. This struggle leads the audience to wonder how the character will possibly answer the overall story question as each disaster brings “newly threatening” circumstances that keep the character in flux and the audience guessing.

In addition to the basic scene, Bickham describes something he calls “sequels.” Sequels are scenes that focus solely on emotion, internalization, and decision-making. Bickham makes this distinction because he believes that to counterbalance the conflict of a standard scene an emotional journey must take place in response to the disaster. Sequels usually follow standard scenes to give the point of view character an opportunity to reflect and regroup before charging toward the next goal. Sequels, however, have their own structure of emotion, thought, decision, and action.

Cause and Effect

In popular fiction, everything must happen for a reason. As Bickham says, “Fiction must make more sense than real life . . .” (12). Luck has no place in fiction. Readers need a reason for disaster and conflict to unfold. The through line of cause and effect must be clear. If a person falls ill, we first need to see him grab the germy handkerchief that gave him the cold. “To restate this differently: in fiction, effects (plot developments) must have causes (background), and vice versa” (13).

On a related note, every stimulus must have a response. Bickham defines stimulus as an external action, reaction, or dialogue. Responses are external as well but may also contain an internal component known as internalization or thought. Internalization must be the result of a stimulus and must not occur untethered. Not every stimulus needs an internalization, but the response (the action/reaction) should immediately follow the stimulus. One cannot exist without the other or the story will fail to make sense. Therefore, to create a cohesive and rational scene, the structure should follow the pattern of stimulus, internalization, and response. Consider this modified example from page 16 of Bickham’s book:

            (Stimulus) Joe threw the ball to Sam.

            (Internalization and Response)  Sam flinched in surprise but leaped in time to catch the ball.

“Sure is a nice day to play catch!”

Notice we did not color code the dialogue. Also, note how impotent the dialogue becomes without the internalization and response. While the dialogue may propel the overall plot (and provide description), the stimulus would be pointless without the color coded elements. Authors often make the mistake of moving forward with the agenda they have for the scene without creating the proper checks and balances regarding stimulus/response and cause/effect. This breeds poorly motivated characters plagued by faulty logic.

According to Bickham, stimulus-response transactions drive the moment-to-moment structure of a scene, just as sequels connect scenes through cause and effect. That is to say, scene-ending disasters lead to the emotional thought process of the sequel where a decision unfolds and action ensues leading to the next goal (i.e. the start of a new scene).

Coming to the End of the Scene

Even though Jack Bickham’s Scene and Structure considers itself a guide toward scene development, I believe the book has a lot more to offer writers because the subtext of each lesson is use structure to heighten the stakes. Often, new authors create stories without considering how the arrangement of ideas affects the reader. By teaching the elements of a scene and showing what portions of a scene are most important, Bickham provides a clear-cut system for developing stories that leave will leave readers on the edge of their seats. That’s the kind of lesson worth keeping for a lifetime.

Work Cited:

Bickham, Jack M. Scene and Structure. Cincinnati, Ohio: F+W Publications, Inc., 1999.

One Unreliable Narrator – Two Gigs!

Unreliable Narrators

We love unreliable narrators like Tyler Durden from Chuck Palahniuk’s Fight Club or Amy Dunne from Gillian Flynn’s Gone Girl, but we rarely talk about how such narrators are written and what makes the characters so memorable. So when I was given an opportunity to speak at the 2022 Craftfest held at ThrillerFest XVII, hosted by the International Thriller Writers in New York City, I decided to tackle the topic to discover: What are the benefits of using an unreliable narrator to tell a story? What is the purpose of unreliable narrators in fiction? And when it’s all said and done, how can writers reveal their unreliable narrator without angering the audience?

But first, what is an unreliable narrator?

An unreliable narrator is someone whose storytelling lacks some level of veracity or credibility and this inaccuracy produces a void between the story’s reality and the narrator’s reality, which the reader must then bridge and eventually fill. In contrast, the reliable narrator—i.e. the type most writers strive to incorporate—uses their personal perspective to tell readers all the information they need to know and does so as accurately as possible. However, the truth is that all first-person narrators are unreliable because they are telling the story based on personal bias and because memory itself is a faulty illusion filtered through past experience and one’s level of vested interest in the story. In other words, your job as a writer is to decide how trustworthy or untrustworthy you plan to make that lead character.

With that in mind, we should note that the degree of unreliability runs on a scale from mild to heavy. This means you can even develop characters that have layers of unreliability (e.g. they’re unreliable only about things related to themselves but honest otherwise) and that a story doesn’t need to tell the whole truth to still be true! Plus, when you use the unreliability technique—especially to its fullest extent—you can reveal that device to readers at various times: immediately (The Perks of Being a Wallflower), gradually (Gone Girl), or late enough to become a major plot twist (The Murder of Roger Ackroyd). But however you choose to go about it, keep in mind that this approach to viewpoint is very powerful since no one has more control over the plot—who, what, where, when, and why—than the narrator. Remember, the narrator controls the pacing, diction, who to root for, how the audience should feel about what happens, and the moral compass for the story as presented to the reader.

In Pícaros, Madmen, Naīfs, and Clowns: The Unreliable First-person Narrator by William Riggan, the approach to unreliable narration is broken down into five types.

  • Pícaro – one who exaggerates or misrepresents events for the purpose of bragging
  • Madman – one who is dealing with trauma, mental illness, or emotional flaw that makes it difficult for them to interpret events accurately
  • Clown – one who doesn’t take things seriously and thereby toys with the common narrative conventions
  • Naïf – a naïve or inexperienced narrator who views things from an innocent perspective
  • Lair – one who deliberately lies about events or hides important information

Remember, these categories aren’t black and white. As with many things in fiction, shades of gray exist, and you can take advantage of that by using several types to make your characters more complex. For instance, it could be argued that Alex from A Clockwork Orange is both madman and clown. So with today’s heightened use of the technique, you may find yourself mashing up the categories or breaking them into new chunks like the supernatural where the narrator’s unreliability comes from some sense of magic or otherworldliness (think The Sixth Sense) or the outsider, i.e. someone with a skewed view because they’ve been scorned in areas based on race, class, culture, or gender (think Ralph Ellison’s novel The Invisible Man). Or it might help to simply think of unreliable narrators as deliberate (ones who know they’re deceiving and why) versus inadvertent (ones who believe they are telling truth or are doing their best despite shortcomings).

Regardless, the benefits of using the technique properly are multifold since it can pack a powerful emotional punch, teach a lesson, add conflict and characterization, or force the reader to dig deeper into their interpretation of the story as they search for the line between fantasy and reality.

However, the key to creating an effective unreliable narrator is to provide clues throughout to indicate the truth about your narrator or to show (in retrospect!) how and/or why they misrepresented events. This is doubly important when using an inadvertent unreliable narrator who may never have enough information to reveal the misconception on their own. You can do this through the other characters or the environment. Failure to do this will leave the reader feeling cheated upon the reveal. Remember, if a character is unreliable and there isn’t a method for distinguishing the truth, the technique serves no purpose. We want the reader to decipher enough about what was being hidden to gather new meaning from the story. So don’t wait! Plant your clues early as with The Sixth Sense (1999).

Here are some things a writer can do to set up the final reveal of their unreliable narrator, but they can also act as clues to produce foreshadowing. Ultimately, to expose the narrator’s biased view, draw attention to the portion of the narrative deemed most credible either through behavior, environment, or comments from other characters. Here are examples of some techniques you can use:

  • Contradicting stories, mistakes, or inconsistencies
  • Repetition, exaggerations, or overemphasis
  • Symbolic representations and patterns of thought
  • Incomplete or missing explanation of events
  • Illogical information, time manipulation, or overlapping imagery
  • A questioning of the narrator’s health, sanity, or motives
  • An authoritative, expert, or trusted character revealing the truth
  • Outright omission by narrator on first page (often overlooked by reader)

Make sure to then hint at the cause for their unreliability (alcoholism, trauma, naiveté) and provide access to the truth (even if it is fleeting!) through flashback, diaries, news articles, other POV characters, et cetera. You should also hint at your narrator’s motivations, yet give them conflicting desires. This will keep the audience guessing about their true purpose and make for a compelling read.

Another tip for creating a compelling unreliable narrator is to give your protagonist a sense of innocence (i.e. a logical personal justification) even if they are deliberately deceptive because that will help put the audience on their side. But most importantly, keep it sincere. The key approach to writing unreliable narrators is to write them so they believe the story they are telling. Every good lie is based on a kernel of truth—that’s usually how the narrator reconciles reality with the version of the story they are telling. And if the narrator has no moments of truth or levity, readers will not buy their story. Gain reader trust by starting from a place of perceived genuineness.

In short, tapping into your narrator’s humanity is crucial.

The unreliable narrator is an effective technique mainly because we all have egos that play into our deceptions and we all sometimes wish the truth were different. If the lies and idiosyncrasies you create ring true, the reader will bow to your technique. But remember, the unreliable narrator is more than a literary device, it’s a fully realized portrait of humanity’s flaws.

If you want more information about unreliable narrators, you can order my new book Mastering the Art of Suspense: How to Write Legal Thrillers, Mysteries, and Chilling Crime Fiction, which will have an expanded chapter on the subject going deep on many of the techniques and topics mentioned here. Or you can register for the 30th annual Surrey International Writers’ Conference scheduled October 21-23 where I will once again give my talk on unreliable narrators along with a discussion on creating characters of color.

What techniques have you used to craft an unreliable narrator? Leave a comment!

Escape With a Writer Interview

A new year brought a new opportunity to mix and mingle with new writers in the cozy community. On February 2, 2022, book coach and mystery author Diane Bator invited me to talk about my experiences as a novelist — particularly, what aspects of the craft I love most and my most successful writing practices — on her blog Escape With a Writer. This is a space where new and veteran artists can gain exciting insights about how to build a successful writing career from an amazing list of popular authors from romance writer Tanya Agler to cozy mystery author Suzanne Bolden. So it was quite the honor to get the call for an interview. I am amazed to be in such great company.

During my chat with Diane, you’ll learn more about my upcoming novel, Deceptive Justice, and hear about all of the projects I have planned for 2022. Hint: One of the biggest is a new entry in the Writer Productivity series all about Mastering the Art of Suspense.

So visit Escape With a Writer to get the full scoop or leave a comment if you have questions!

Turning Fact to Fiction – Interview on Author Nation

Want to learn how to use real life headlines to inspire your fiction novels? Then you will want to join me and Melody Ann Owen, host and founder of Author Nation, as we discuss what it takes to turn fact into fiction. We’ll also analyze my journey from court stenographer to cozy author as a way to discover what it takes to write a compelling novel. So if you haven’t already picked up a paperback or ebook copy of How to Craft a Killer Cozy, please do so before the interview so you can follow along.

Tune in LIVE for this fascinating conversation on Thursday, January 20, at 3PM Eastern via YouTube. But don’t worry if you miss part of the event, the entire interview will be recorded for the Author Nation YouTube page. So make sure to like, subscribe, and bookmark the channel. Melody Ann’s site is a great resource for anyone interested in becoming a successful nonfiction author. She covers a myriad of topics from book planning to promotion and everything in between.

I’ll see you there! And be sure to come with questions as there will be a Q&A at the end for anyone who’d like to learn more.

Author Nation Interview – LIVE taping 1/16/22 3PM Eastern

A Cozy Mystery Chat With Colleen M. Story

I am proud to announce that my fantastic new writer productivity manual, How to Craft a Killer Cozy Mystery, is currently being highlighted on Writing and Wellness, a blog by Colleen M. Story that’s dedicated to helping artists “overcome modern-day challenges and find creative fulfillment.”

Words can’t express how excited I am to have entered into this partnership with Colleen, who herself is a freelance health writer turned wellness coach and fiction novelist. Her blog launched in 2014 and has highlighted the work of Funds for Writers founder and mystery master C. Hope Clark as well as fellow cozy enthusiast Diane Bator, so it is an honor to be in such excellent company.

During our chat, Colleen and I discussed several aspects of what it takes to write a killer cozy:

Want eye-opening tips on how to write successful cozies? We’ve got ‘em!
Want to avoid the main pitfalls of cozy writing? We tell you how!
Want to differentiate between your story’s hook and premise? We share the secrets!
Need to figure out why the four-act structure is so important to cozy mysteries? We break it down!

This is hands-down one of the best blogs you’ll read this year. Colleen does an excellent job distilling the essence of our conversation into a learning tool that you can take with you to the next level.

To steal a term from book publishing expert Jane Friedman: Be a good literary citizen! Visit Colleen M. Story’s website and enroll in her “How to Finish the Creative Projects You Start” workshop, or order one of her many Writer Wellness books—Your Writing Matters (2021), Writer Get Noticed! (2019), and Overwhelmed Writer Rescue (2017). All are available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and everywhere else books are sold. Also, don’t forget to subscribe to her blog. She hosts a new writer every week.

You can catch my rave reviews of Colleen’s work on Submittable and LitReactor, or leave your own comments about her work via Amazon.

Until next time, cuddle up and grab another killer cozy!

Talking Mysteries With Lynn Slaughter

Talking Mysteries

This Thanksgiving I’ve been invited to chat with fellow Seton Hill University, Writing Popular Fiction Program alum, Lynn Slaughter. She is the author of the recently released Leisha’s Song (2021), a romantic cozy mystery about the disappearance of a young singer’s mentor. Slaughter also has another upcoming mystery by the same publisher (Fire & Ice Young Adult Books) called Deadly Setup (2022), which follows a teenage heiress who is accused of murdering her stepfather. Both are exciting forays into the mystery genre, so I was flattered that Lynn chose me for an interview. Here is a snippet of what I had to say:

Writing a mystery is like a puzzle. I like think about the ending, the unmasking, the final showdown, or the image I want the audience to remember, then I work my way backward from there asking myself, “What needs to happen in order to get the result I want?”

Our conversation covers my background as a court stenographer and how it inspired my upcoming release, Deceptive Justice (April 5, 2022). We also discussed how I started my writing career and what I think the industry has done to embrace new writers of color. It’s a fascinating talk that I encourage everyone to read if for no other reason than to get to know Lynn Slaughter, who is breaking new ground in the young adult portion of the mystery world.

You can catch my rave reviews of Lynn’s work on Goodreads, or leave your own comments about her work via Amazon. Also, don’t forget to subscribe to her blog. She hosts a new writer every week.

Until next time, cuddle up and grab another killer cozy!