What happens in your scenes? Do they even matter to your book? Do they move the story forward and keep your readers engaged? Or are they . . . boring?

In order for a scene to earn its place in your story, something needs to happen. It needs a story event, a single event that contributes to the larger plot.

The thing is, it’s really easy to write scenes—thousands of words!—where nothing ever happens.

A group of friends go to a restaurant and have a pleasant conversation. A woman sits in her favorite chair, sipping tea and thinking.

These are normal things we do in everyday life. (And when we do them, we really enjoy them! They’re quite lovely, aren’t they?)

But in stories, “scenes” like these will bore your readers to tears . . . unless something interesting happens. Conflict arises. Something changes.

So I’ll ask you again: What happens in your scenes?

Not sure? Not to worry. In this episode, I’m sharing five essential questions to help you figure out what happens in a scene—and why it matters to your story.

These questions are deceptively simple. They won’t take long to answer. But they’ll give you so much invaluable insight into how and why your story is working—or where it’s not working, and how you can fix it.

Plus, I’ll show you how to answer them using an example scene: the first scene of UNDER THE WHISPERING DOOR by T. J. Klune. Read the first scene for free here. (And if you love it, read the whole book—it's a good one!)

Ready to answer all these questions for your scenes and make every page of your book un-put-down-able? Download the Scene Analysis Worksheet at alicesudlow.com/sceneworksheet.

And if you'd like expert feedback on your scenes, plus personalized strategies for how to make them even better, I'd love to help. Send me a note at [email protected] and tell me about your book!

Links mentioned in the episode:

• Ep. 8: What Is a Scene? The Ultimate Guide to Write and Edit Amazing Scenes
• The opening scene of UNDER THE WHISPERING DOOR by T. J. Klune
• The Scene Analysis Worksheet: alicesudlow.com/sceneworksheet

Want more editing tips and resources? Follow me on Instagram and

Send me a Text Message!

Support the show

Rate, Review, & Follow on Apple Podcasts

"I love Alice and Your Next Draft." If that sounds like you, please consider rating and reviewing my show! This helps me support more writers through the mess—and joy—of the editing process. Click here, scroll to the bottom, tap the stars to rate, and select “Write a Review.” Then be sure to let me know what you loved most about the episode!

Loving the show? Show your support with a monthly contribution »