Introduction
Welcome to your next lesson. In our previous session, we established a mechanical process for "showing" a character's emotional state by translating abstract feelings into concrete actions and sensations. This gives the reader the data to infer the emotion themselves.
Today, we move from the micro-level of a single emotional beat to the macro-level of an entire scene. The emotional states you "show" don't happen in a vacuum; they are the consequence of a character's actions. The engine driving these actions is the scene goal.
The learning outcome for this lesson is to state a scene's goal as a concrete, immediate objective for the point-of-view character.
Think of a story as a complex program and a scene as a function within it. A function takes an input (the character's situation), executes a set of instructions, and produces an output (a new situation). The scene goal is the primary instruction for that function. It is the 'what' that the character is trying to accomplish, which in turn defines the entire purpose of the scene.
1. The Scene as a Goal-Driven Unit
A scene is not merely a segment of time in a story. From a mechanical perspective, it's a fundamental unit of conflict. The most widely used and effective model for this unit, developed by authors like Dwight Swain and Randy Ingermanson, breaks it down into a simple, causal chain: Goal -> Conflict -> Disaster.
As the diagram shows, the Goal is the starting point. Without it, the character has no reason to act, no direction for their conflict, and thus, the scene has no purpose.
Let's establish a precise definition.
The article 'Writing The Perfect Scene' by Randy Ingermanson provides a clear and technical definition of a scene goal. This will be our working model.
Read the section labeled '1. Goal'. Focus on the definition provided: 'A Goal is what your POV character wants at the beginning of the Scene. The Goal must be specific and it must be clearly definable.'
This definition has two critical components we need to deconstruct: specific (which we'll call concrete) and clearly definable (which relates to it being immediate).
2. The Anatomy of a Scene Goal: Concrete and Immediate
A weak scene goal is abstract and general. A strong scene goal is concrete and immediate.
What Makes a Goal "Concrete"?
A concrete goal is tangible and measurable. The best diagnostic tool for this comes from the following article.
The article 'How to write a scene?' provides a powerful heuristic for testing if your goal is concrete enough.
Read the section '1. Goal' and pay close attention to the 'photograph' test: 'Imagine you could take a photograph of your character’s goal – only then it is clear enough.'
Let's apply this "photograph test":
- Vague/Abstract Goal: "Sara wants to find love." (How do you photograph 'love'?)
- Concrete Goal: "Sara wants to get the handsome millionaire's phone number at the bar." (You can easily photograph Sara talking to the man, him writing on a napkin, and her taking it.)
The concrete goal is what powers the scene. The abstract goal is the larger motivation that might power the entire novel.
To see this in action, let's look at a classic example.
Mastering Scene Structure (Fiction Writing Advice)
In his video 'Mastering Scene Structure,' Brandon McNulty uses a famous film opening to illustrate a perfectly concrete goal.
Watch the segment from 04:17 to 04:43. The goal for Indiana Jones in the opening scene is not abstract like 'be a successful archeologist.' It's perfectly concrete: 'get the golden idol from the tomb.' You can photograph the idol.
What Makes a Goal "Immediate"?
An immediate goal is an objective that the character intends to achieve within the confines of the current scene. It is a single step on the path toward their larger, overall story goal.
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Overall Story Goal: Destroy the One Ring.
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Immediate Scene Goal: Get past the Watcher in the Water to enter the Mines of Moria.
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Overall Story Goal: Avenge father's murder.
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Immediate Scene Goal: Win the duel against the swordsman who holds a clue.
A scene that lacks an immediate goal often feels aimless, because the character has nothing to do right now.
Scene Structure Part 1: How to Write the Goal
The video 'Scene Structure Part 1' by Ellen Brock explains the problems that arise when a scene lacks a clear goal and how the scene goal relates to the larger novel goal.
First, watch from 00:41 to 01:46. Notice the symptoms of a goal-less scene: aimless wandering, talking without advancing the plot, passive contemplation. Then, watch from 04:44 to 05:44, where she lists concrete categories of goals, such as obtaining information or reaching a location. These are all immediate objectives.
3. Implementation: How to Inject a Goal into a Scene
So, how do you ensure every scene has a goal? There are a few standard implementation patterns.
Pattern 1: The Pre-Existing Goal
The POV character enters the scene with the goal already established. This is the most straightforward pattern.
- Example: A detective arrives at a crime scene. Her goal is to find the murder weapon. The scene begins with her stating this intention.
Pattern 2: The Introduced Goal
The scene begins, and an external event immediately provides the character with a new goal. The key here is immediacy. Don't let the character drift before the goal arrives.
- Example: A character is reading a book. The phone rings. A voice says, "We have your daughter." The character's new goal is: "Find out where my daughter is and who these people are."
Pattern 3: The Temporary Goal (An Elegant Solution)
What if you need to start a scene before the main conflict arrives? You don't want a character passively waiting. The solution is to give them a temporary goal that is then interrupted by the main event. This ensures the character is always active.
Scene Structure Part 1: How to Write the Goal
Let's return to Ellen Brock's video, which provides an excellent explanation of this more advanced, but highly effective, technique.
Watch from 01:46 to 04:53. First, she'll review the two basic patterns we just discussed. Then, she'll introduce the concept of the 'temporary goal.' Pay close attention to the example: the character tries to make a phone call (temporary goal) right before the knock at the door introduces the main scene conflict. This keeps the character proactive.
The function of the goal is to make the character proactive. It doesn't matter if they succeed. In fact, they often won't. The pursuit of the goal is what creates the narrative drive.
Test your understanding!
A rookie spy, Anya, needs to retrieve a microchip from a heavily guarded embassy. Her overall story goal is to stop a terrorist plot. Her handler has told her the chip is hidden in the ambassador's office.
For a scene where Anya infiltrates the ambassador's private party, which of the following is the most effective scene goal according to our criteria?
- Anya wants to be a great spy.
- Anya wants to find the microchip.
- Anya wants to get the ambassador's fingerprint on a wine glass.
- Anya thinks about how she can get into the office.
Show answer
Answer 3: Anya wants to get the ambassador's fingerprint on a wine glass.
Analysis:
- "Anya wants to be a great spy." This is an abstract, long-term character motivation, not a concrete, immediate scene goal. You can't photograph "being a great spy."
- "Anya wants to find the microchip." This is closer, but it's likely a multi-scene goal. Can she realistically get from the party to the chip in one scene? Maybe, but it's less immediate and specific than option 3.
- "Anya wants to get the ambassador's fingerprint on a wine glass." This is perfect. It's concrete (you can photograph her getting the glass) and immediate (it's a clear objective for this party scene). It's a logical step toward the larger goal of getting into the office, which in turn serves the story goal of finding the chip.
- "Anya thinks about how she can get into the office." This is passive internal monologue, not an active goal. A goal must cause the character to act. Her thinking might lead her to form the goal (get the fingerprint), but the thinking itself isn't the goal.
Conclusion
Today, we've defined the scene goal as the engine of narrative action. By treating it as a technical requirement, you ensure that every scene you write has direction, purpose, and a proactive character at its center.
Key Takeaways:
- A scene is a functional unit that begins with a Goal.
- An effective scene goal must be concrete and immediate. The "photograph test" is a reliable tool to ensure concreteness.
- The goal makes the character proactive, driving them into the action of the scene, which is what engages the reader.
- You can implement a goal by having the character enter with it, by introducing it with an inciting event, or by using a temporary goal to avoid passivity.
Preview of the Next Lesson
We've established the first part of our Goal -> Conflict -> Disaster formula. A character now has a concrete, immediate objective. What happens next? They must encounter opposition. In our next lesson, we will analyze the second component of the scene: identifying the opposing force in a scene, whether it's another character, the environment, or an internal conflict.