You probably heard before that in any given scene you need character, your ancestor, of course, and setting, but what else? Are you locking down all 6 key components in your scenes. Scenes are so very important to our family history stories, and understanding these 6 components will go along way to getting it right and engaging your reader. Watch the video lesson below and start crafting scenes that will entertain and engage your reader.
6 Crucial Components for Crafting a Family History Scene
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Cooking Up a Satisfying SceneCooking Up a Satisfying Scene
Like a good pot of soup on a cold’s winter’s day, every family history scene requires some essential ingredients to make them successful. Without a tasty broth, some colourful veggies, and a fat noodle the soup will just not satisfy. The same can be said for a scene, if it’s missing an essential ingredient it will likely fall flat and you may lose the interest of your reader. Today, we look at the ingredients that make a satisfying scene. Let’s identify the key ingredients in a family history scene each one closer so that you can create powerful and fulfilling scenes for your reader.
Protagonist Ancestor
The majority of your scenes should be built around your protagonist ancestor. Your protagonist ancestor is the main character of your story and through whose point of view, the story will be told. In each scene, your protag ancestor will be involved in action or dialogue. Make sure that you’ve chosen a single ancestor from which point of view that story will be told.
Action
Every scene shows some dramatic movement, large or small. It creates a sense of movement through time and space. It could be actual action or even dialogue which gives the essence of movement within a scene. Without action, you have no scene.
We want to demonstrate our ancestor’s movements, feelings, actions, and reactions. Don’t tell us about them, show them offer up the proof in the form of a scene.
Scene Goal
Every scene has a goal. We know that our story also has a goal, however, this is different from the scene goal. The scene goal begins and ends in the scene, but contributes to the overall advancement of the story.
Antagonist and Allies
Your protagonist ancestor needs someone to interact with, these will come in the form of an antagonist who opposes your ancestor’s goals or allies who will help your ancestor to achieve her goal.
New Information
Each scene builds on the previous scene providing new information that keeps moving the story forward. If it doesn’t move the story forward then perhaps it doesn’t belong in the story.
Setting and Time Period
Setting and time period is essential to grounding your scene through sensory details and description.
Theme
The overall meaning of your story is conveyed within scenes using images and sensory details.
Tension
Not only organizing your scenes within the story but by creating a feeling of conflict and uncertainty within a scene will keep the reader guessing as what is next and will keep them turning the pages.
Great Endings
Scenes can end in any number of ways. Some may end on a high-note, with a small victory for your ancestor, or in defeat. It can end with a cliff-hanger or some uncertainty. It’s important that each scene ends in such a way that it eludes to future obstacles for your ancestor and a yearning in your reader to know what happens next.
Make sure your story scenes have all the right ingredients.
I’m a retired teacher and part of the U.S. National Writing Project. I run a genealogy writing workshop for my club. Your presentation was wonderfully concise and informative.
Thank You Lynn for the excellent advice. In the past I had over a few years compiled true stories of my childhood and what it was like growing up in the 1950’s under dire circumstances due to the downturn in the economy and its effects on families. In order to get his down fast before I forget some critical details, I quickly wrote it all down in increments such as episodes/stories of each scene as the occurred chronologically (using my memories at that time). However, after hearing your advice today, I realize that I had written some as you suggested that of setting up that particular scene and so on. Because I chose to write as my memories came through when writing about this life, I now have pages upon pages of episodes or scenes to connect together. The only way I did that was just to continue on as I remember in sequence of the events as they occurred. I have put everything aside for the summer months as I am to have surgery for now and will resume writing in the Fall as that seems to be the time that I feel greatest in tackling this in increments without disturbing my routines in everyday life. Sometimes as I sit in silence a flood of the past come forward to remind me to write about that particular event, but I keep it in the background to bring it up later when in writing mode. The most important thing right now for me is to get this down in writing before it gets lost in oblivion. At present I have too many things to handle, but I am handling them one at a time and so it goes with my writing as well. In the end I will have the task of stitching it all together into a complete descriptive narrative that is ready for publication. I enjoy your videos however finances and health problems deter me at the moment. I await until all is ready to continue with my lifelong story that in the end enabled me to become that much stronger for it.
I love it. I would give anything to have the physical strength and finances to attend one of these retreats. I even have a passport from when I was going to visit a friend in Canada before Covid! But, I will have to be content with moments like these that encourage and inspire me onward. Thanks Lynn.
I really enjoy your weekly additions! You make writing sound exciting.