A scene is a moment readers can watch unfold in real-time and, therefore, experience. They can feel it. Learn to write a good scene, Nov 6- Dec 11, during WITD's last seasonal intensive of 2024
I've been writing a memoir for more than five years. It includes a few good scenes, but, as Penni said, I need to learn more about writing scenes that contain and move the story forward, as well as when it's okay to use summary or "telling."
New founding member here! The upcoming intensive sounds like one I really need -- my M.S. is so summary-heavy (= B - O - R - I - N - G) and I want to shift that but don't know how. Excited to learn from and with others in this community :)
Thanks Jeannine for this upcoming Intensive, really looking forward to this.
"I want to feel everything there is to feel and make everyone else feel it too." just what I would like to do myself as I write out my memoir. I have an idea to do a hero's journey version of the memoir and so writing it out in scenes would help tremendously.
Scenes will be helpful, really, to just about any kind of memoir structure you could imagine. Scenes bring the work to life. You’ll see! I am glad you are going to write along!
I really really want to do this intensive. As you know, I live in Paris. I can only write in the mornings—which I do faithfully. I’m seven hours ahead of you.
What are the chances that the Wednesday ‘instructions’ would arrive in a Parisian email box by 8am (1am in Chicago)?
HI, Sara in Paris ❤️ Well, yes, the Wed posts usually go out in the morning--almost always. Only in rare unanticipated circumstances would they ever go out after 1 PM Chicago time! That said, you don't have to write exactly when the posts come out. The post will be the busiest the first and second days, but people come back and post their work throughout the week and even after. It's very much at your own pace! Also, at WITD we have changed our settings so that Substack doesn't organize our comments by "Top Comments First" but instead defaults to "Newest Comments First" so that newer comments are seen, too. We are rebelling against the algorithms, ha. xoxoxo
Ok—sounds like it will arrive in my afternoon or evening. Tant pis (too bad), Wednesday would have been a perfect writing day for your intensive.
I will try to make it work. And let’s hope that on Nov 6th, our scenes are ones of happiness. “I remember exactly where I was sitting, wearing, thinking when the first woman……………”
Thanks for all you do and all your generosity. It can’t be easy teaching every day and have a life also!!! Bisous 😽
This sounds so good. I can’t wait to learn about developing and using scenes to contain and move the story forward. None of my prior writing has ever needed scenes - evidence yes, scenes no- and now it does.
Really looking forward to this 😊
I've been writing a memoir for more than five years. It includes a few good scenes, but, as Penni said, I need to learn more about writing scenes that contain and move the story forward, as well as when it's okay to use summary or "telling."
Great, Martha--welcome! We will certainly cover what you describe. I am glad you're here and look forward to writing with you.
New founding member here! The upcoming intensive sounds like one I really need -- my M.S. is so summary-heavy (= B - O - R - I - N - G) and I want to shift that but don't know how. Excited to learn from and with others in this community :)
Yay! I’m excited to write with you, Melissa! Thanks for joining WITD!
Thanks Jeannine for this upcoming Intensive, really looking forward to this.
"I want to feel everything there is to feel and make everyone else feel it too." just what I would like to do myself as I write out my memoir. I have an idea to do a hero's journey version of the memoir and so writing it out in scenes would help tremendously.
Scenes will be helpful, really, to just about any kind of memoir structure you could imagine. Scenes bring the work to life. You’ll see! I am glad you are going to write along!
Dear lovely Jeanine
I really really want to do this intensive. As you know, I live in Paris. I can only write in the mornings—which I do faithfully. I’m seven hours ahead of you.
What are the chances that the Wednesday ‘instructions’ would arrive in a Parisian email box by 8am (1am in Chicago)?
Crossing my fingers —
Sara in Paris
HI, Sara in Paris ❤️ Well, yes, the Wed posts usually go out in the morning--almost always. Only in rare unanticipated circumstances would they ever go out after 1 PM Chicago time! That said, you don't have to write exactly when the posts come out. The post will be the busiest the first and second days, but people come back and post their work throughout the week and even after. It's very much at your own pace! Also, at WITD we have changed our settings so that Substack doesn't organize our comments by "Top Comments First" but instead defaults to "Newest Comments First" so that newer comments are seen, too. We are rebelling against the algorithms, ha. xoxoxo
Ok—sounds like it will arrive in my afternoon or evening. Tant pis (too bad), Wednesday would have been a perfect writing day for your intensive.
I will try to make it work. And let’s hope that on Nov 6th, our scenes are ones of happiness. “I remember exactly where I was sitting, wearing, thinking when the first woman……………”
Thanks for all you do and all your generosity. It can’t be easy teaching every day and have a life also!!! Bisous 😽
This sounds so good. I can’t wait to learn about developing and using scenes to contain and move the story forward. None of my prior writing has ever needed scenes - evidence yes, scenes no- and now it does.
That's wonderful, Penni. I love your spirit of adventure and ability to embrace the new!!