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Title: Make a Scene: Crafting a Powerful Story One Scene at a Time
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Manufacturer: Writers Digest Books
List Price: $14.99
Our Price: $8.25
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| Make a Scene: Crafting a Powerful Story One Scene at a Time by Writers Digest Books Make Another Choice For a Book on How to Write | Make A Scene by Jordan E. Rosenfeld attempts to focus on how to create great scenes for a written work. She delves into many different types of scenes in an attempt to pick apart the elements that make these scenes memorable, engaging and keep the reader reading.
If you enjoy "literary" or "character-driven" books as opposed to "commercial" or "plot-driven" books (in reality the distinctions are far too artificial to be useful) then you will likely be familiar with many of the sources Rosenfeld uses. That is largely because with few exceptions literary works are all she draws from. The only commercial reference she uses is from "Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back" when Vader uses those stunning four words that we all know by now.
And if you are a man, you might find reading the examples she provides to be a bit like watching a long series of previews of most of the movies on the "Lifetime" channel. Most if not all of the stories Rosenfeld picks from are stories where the man is abusive, controlling, usually addicted to alcohol and uses his fists to communicate to his wife. One was about a naive young woman who is warned by her oppressive mother that men "only want one thing" and she goes off with a man against her mother's wishes only to find out that this man really DOES only want one thing and is abusive to her.
She is also a fan of symbolism. Now I am not saying symbolism is bad, but the ultimate goal of writing a story is to craft a work that allows another person to experience something that they may know themselves a little better. If the author wishes to include a symbol, then it should be there because it somehow contributes to the aforementioned end, not because the author can feel clever and sly. I felt as though more than a few of the authors Rosenfeld quoted were only throwing symbols into their work for its own sake, although to be fair I have not read those stories.
Those writing commercial fiction may benefit from her suggestions, but there are many aspects that would feel out of place if not in a literary work.
One that comes to mind is her surprisingly strong suggestion of writing in second person. So instead of:
"My hands were shaking as I approached the door. What would be waiting for me? A dead body? My killer? Worse? Was there worse?"
Or:
"Joe's hands were shaking as he approached the door...." etc.
Instead she recommends writing this:
"Your hands were shaking as you approached the door...." etc.
She also recommends writing in the present tense, second person or no. So instead of:
"Susan grabbed her purse and found her cell phone inside. She frantically dialed 911 hoping she wasn't too late."
Rosenfeld recommends this:
"Susan grabs her purse and finds her cell phone inside. She frantically dials 911 hoping she isn't too late."
I for one find either style of writing to be very jarring and disengaging. I do not find narrating a story in the present tense to "blur the line" between reality and story, as Rosenfeld suggests, although she does point out, correctly, that anything that disengages your reader from your story is a sure way to kill your work.
The book also ends rather abruptly. I knew I was getting close to the end of the book, so I was expecting to get to the last page. What I was not expecting was what was the final paragraph on the final section to then see the index. No real conclusion or final wrap up. It just ends.
With all of the other really good books on how to craft a story, it's very hard to recommend this book, especially to people who want to craft stories that focus more on plot and less on character. For $15 one could do worse but there is precious little that makes this book a "must-buy."
Instead, I would recommend Todd Stone's "Novelists Boot Camp", Stephen King's "On Writing" or the "Write Great Fiction" series.
| | Make a Scene: Crafting a Powerful Story One Scene at a Time by Writers Digest Books A Thorough Guide for the Motivated Writer | | "Make a Scene" is particularly useful for the intermediate to advanced writer with working knowledge of the basics: character development, dialogue, setting, and point-of-view. Perhaps the author's weakest chapter is Chapter 8, on the subject of plot, but it functions as an overview and succeeds in making an important point: every scene must serve the plot. If you've written a number of scenes, short stories, a novel, or novel chapters, it comes naturally to apply Jordan Rosenfeld's ideas to what you've already created or you're in the process of working out, adding relevance to her advice. I recommend highlighting the "weighty" parts, and using them as a reference. Where she repeats herself, it serves to reinforce or expand upon her ideas. This is the most usable and thorough book on scene construction, and how it relates to the overall construction of a novel or a short story I've read. It is applicable to any type of fiction. | | Make a Scene: Crafting a Powerful Story One Scene at a Time by Writers Digest Books A winner | This book is wonderful. I have read it cover to cover and enjoyed every bit of it. The author explains the needed good things in a scene. I must also mention that the book has given me NEW ideas for a book I'm writing.
The book is comprehensive, is written is an easy style to understand and gives writers a guideline to follow--scene by scene. I will continue to reread this book often. It was definitely worth the money. | | Make a Scene: Crafting a Powerful Story One Scene at a Time by Writers Digest Books Stylistic Flatulence | | I routinely look at books that might help my students with the basics. I didn't make it past the third page of this book -- the breathy style masks a fundamental lack of substance. Rosenfeld has written a book about writing, but a quick search reveals that he has not published any, well, actual books, you know. I should have been more attentive before clicking the order button. To take writing advice from anyone who writes this badly is idiotic. | | Make a Scene: Crafting a Powerful Story One Scene at a Time by Writers Digest Books Re-write it. | MAKE A SCENE is a cookbook to create a competent scene. The book includes plenty of collateral scene information, too. Lots of good, practical advice. The author knows scenes!
That said, my mind wanders while reading this book.
Too many auxillary verbs (is, am, are, was...) and too many adverbs. The combination slows the reading and obscures the lesson. | | Make a Scene: Crafting a Powerful Story One Scene at a Time by Writers Digest Books Book Description | In Make a Scene, author Jordan E. Rosenfeld takes you through the fundamentals of strong scene construction and explains how other essential fiction-writing techniques, such as character, plot, and dramatic tension, must function within the framework of individual scenes in order to provide substance and structure to the overall story. You'll learn how to: - Craft an opening scene that hooks readers and foreshadows supporting scenes
- Develop various scene types--from the suspenseful to the dramatic to the contemplative--that are distinct and layered
- Tailor character and plot around specific scene types to better convey the nuances of your storyline
- Create resonating climactic and final scenes that stay with readers long after they've finished your work
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