#161. Scene Beats: What They Are & Why They Matter

Fiction Writing Made Easy

Have you ever Googled things like “how many words should be in a novel?” Or “how many scenes should a novel have?” If so, you’ve probably gotten answers like “80,000 words.” Or “somewherre between 40 and 60 scenes.”
Easy enough, in theory…But if you’re like most of the writers I’ve worked with, you’ve probably also had trouble sticking to these guidelines because there’s just so much stuff that needs to go into a novel, right?
Well, in this episode, I’m going to help clear up some of the confusion and overwhelm that many writers face when it comes to outlining, writing, and revising. And to do that, I’m going to share everything I know about scene beats.
Tune into this episode to hear things like:

• [03:18] The difference between scenes and beats, including some of the common functions beats can serve within each one of your scenes
• [07:21] An example of beats within a scene from Throne Of Glass by Sarah J. Maas—including a look at how she strategically placed chapter breaks to hook and hold the reader’s attention.
• [12:53] My advice on when to worry about the beats with each of your scenes (spoiler alert: it’s not until you’re in the revision phase—if at all!)
• [13:42] 3 things to look out for when deciding if something should be a beat or a scene, and why it’s super important to adopt a flexible mindset during revisions
• [16:09] Episode recap and final thoughts

If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed creating your outline or trying to fit an entire story into a certain number of words or scenes, you’re going to love this episode!
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🔗 Links mentioned in this episode:

• Ep. 153 - Scene Analysis: Chapter 5 "Diagon Alley" From Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
• Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas
• Click here to grab a copy of my book, The Story Grid Masterwork Analysis Guide to Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone
• Ep. 40 - How to Write a Well-Structured Scene

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👉 Looking for a transcript? If you’re listening on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, scroll down below the episode player until you see the transcript.

章

1. Understanding Story Beats in Fiction Writing (00:00:00)

2. Crafting Effective Story Beats in Writing (00:04:28)

3. Analyzing Scene Beats in Story Arc (00:08:44)

4. Identifying and Adapting Story Beats (00:14:27)