Over the past month, the Jericho Writers team has been tightly focused on helping you to write better scenes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Through the Write With Jericho<\/a> video course \u2013 free for Premium Members \u2013 we\u2019ve explored:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Many of you have shared examples of your work with us during the course, and our four tutors fed back on the writing they saw via the forums over on Townhouse<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Here, I\u2019ll share some of the most common challenges authors experienced as they worked on perfecting their scenes \u2013 as well as our top tips for overcoming them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Following lesson one, best-selling author Becca Day had the following advice<\/a> to share with her fellow writers:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Remember the purpose of your B plot<\/strong>: This seemed to be a sticking point for some authors, but \u2013 in a nutshell \u2013 the B plot sums up the reason why the A plot is your character\u2019s story to tell<\/em>. What is it that makes this tale, and this scene within it, so personal to your protagonist?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Make sure the stakes are personal<\/strong>: Even if you think you\u2019ve come up with something suitably emotive, Becca suggests digging a little deeper to see if you can make it more so. Instead of \u2018My character will lose her job if XYZ,\u2019 consider: \u2018If XYZ, my character will lose her job \u2013 and it\u2019s the job her father always wanted for her. She\u2019ll be letting down his memory if she\u2019s sacked.\u2019 This calls into question whether the character actually cares about her job as much as her father did, or if she\u2019s merely doing it because she feels like she owes it to him. See how much more powerful that just became?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Meanwhile, Jericho Writers founder Harry Bingham shared these thoughts<\/a> after teaching Write With Jericho lesson two:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Consider what to leave out, as well as what to put in<\/strong>: Repeated words and phrases, or detail where it isn\u2019t necessary, can detract from the atmosphere you\u2019re working so hard to create. It might sound contrary, but keeping your writing spare \u2013 choosing your words carefully \u2013 is a terrific technique for building atmosphere.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Be mindful of pace<\/strong>: On the flip side, make sure you\u2019re not hurrying past moments where the reader might like to linger. As you\u2019re describing a setting, ask yourself \u2013 does this need a reaction shot? Do I need to dwell, just for a moment, on the feeling this elicits in the character(s)?<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you create a moment, let it live<\/strong>: To some extent, this is about pace, too \u2013 but also the natural ways people react to things. When you introduce some action into your setting \u2013 a loud noise, say \u2013 make sure your character(s) respond to this in a way, and in an order, that feels believable. They won\u2019t know what the sound is, so let\u2019s see their experience of it, their shock and confusion, and then perhaps their relief at figuring out the reason for the din. Don\u2019t name the noise or its source until your character(s) could reasonably know what it is and where it\u2019s coming from or the moment will lose its authenticity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In the lesson three forum<\/a>, I shared the following feedback with our authors:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Avoid excessive formality<\/strong>: In my Write With Jericho lesson, I talked about the importance of keeping speech natural and appropriate for your characters and setting. This advice applies to internal monologue, too. If you want readers to feel close to your protagonist or narrator, you must make them feel like a friend. That means using contractions (\u2018won\u2019t\u2019 instead of \u2018will not\u2019 \/ \u2018don\u2019t\u2019 instead of \u2018do not\u2019), and avoiding the sort of stiffness that might feel more \u2018job interview\u2019 than \u2018intimate, honest conversation\u2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Keep an eye on your POV<\/strong>: All writers are guilty of letting their point of view wander from time to time \u2013 but it\u2019s important not to let it amble too far! If you\u2019re working in first person or third person close, you need to be vigilant and stay mindful of what your main character can reasonably know about others\u2019 thoughts, feelings and motivations. Be careful not to stray too far into omniscience, if this isn\u2019t the mode you\u2019re actually working in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Watch out for clunky self-referencing<\/strong>: This is a pet peeve of mine, but in first person narratives (where protagonists are forced to think and talk about themselves constantly), I think it\u2019s important to keep self-references natural. Does anyone really think about the colour of their own hair as they shove it out of their face? Or the precise shade of their eyes as they close them in despair? Obviously, your readers want this information \u2013 they need to know what your protagonist looks like \u2013 but real internal monologues simply don\u2019t work like this. You need a reason for your character to be thinking about whatever they\u2019re contemplating, so find one! Or, save the eye colour info for a moment where it will slot in seamlessly. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Remember, punctuation affects pace<\/strong>: The way you punctuate speech can have a huge impact on how it sounds \u2013 and whether it lands with a big bang or a whimper. If in doubt, read it aloud (even if your nearest and dearest will fear you\u2019ve lost the plot). Consider the difference between: \u2018Sorry, I didn\u2019t mean that,\u2019 and \u2018Sorry. Really. I didn\u2019t mean that.\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n Finally, over on the lesson four feedback forum<\/a>, Sophie Flynn suggested the following fixes for writers trying to strike the right balance between showing and telling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Beware of filtering<\/strong>: Words like \u2018seemed\u2019, \u2018appeared\u2019, \u2018noticed\u2019 and \u2018felt\u2019 can signal you\u2019re a step too far away from your main character\u2019s point of view \u2013 that you\u2019re filtering<\/em> their experience through a second pair of eyes. Minimise this if you can, and you\u2019ll find your writing feels sharper and more immediate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Watch out for showing that feels like telling<\/strong>: Running a fingertip over a barely healed wound, for example, is an act that needs to be connected to a thought or conversation that\u2019s happening in the moment. Otherwise, it won\u2019t feel natural.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Don\u2019t show where telling would be clearer<\/strong>: Again, this is a question of getting the balance right \u2013 but if trying to show something takes longer, is more effortful and is potentially confusing for the reader, don\u2019t be afraid just to state a few simple facts. <\/p>\n\n\n\n If you haven\u2019t yet taken this year\u2019s Write With Jericho<\/a> course, what are you waiting for? All four lessons are now available for Premium Members to watch at their own pace.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Not yet a Premium Member? Join us today<\/a> to access Write With Jericho, plus a host of other video courses, live events and writing resources. Fancy watching lesson one of Write With Jericho 2025 for free? Check it out here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Over the past month, the Jericho Writers team has been tightly focused on helping you to write better scenes. Through the Write With Jericho video course \u2013 free for Premium Members \u2013 we\u2019ve explored: Many of you have shared examples of your work with us during the course, and our four tutors fed back on<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":36332,"featured_media":652048,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[16],"tags":[29254],"class_list":["post-778397","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-novel-writing","tag-write-with-jericho"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n\n
Making each scene purposeful<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Creating atmosphere in your scene<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Dynamic dialogue and internal monologue<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Show, don’t tell – and when to break the rule<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Ready to dive in…?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n