Today, I really wanted to give this “short scenes” thing a shot. I’ve seen some folks talk about it online, and it seemed like a fun way to stretch my creative muscles. So, I grabbed my laptop, found a quiet corner, and got started.
First, I brainstormed some ideas. What kind of short scenes did I want to create? I jotted down a few quick thoughts—a conversation between two old friends, a moment of tension at a bus stop, maybe a funny interaction in a grocery store. Just some basic stuff to get the juices flowing.
Once I had a few ideas, I started writing. I picked the grocery store one, just because it seemed the easiest to start with. I imagined the characters—a frazzled mom with a cart full of kids and an elderly gentleman trying to reach a box of cereal on the top shelf. Simple, right?
I wrote out the scene, trying to keep it short and sweet. No fancy language, just straight-up dialogue and a few descriptions. It was rough, but it was a start. Then I moved on to the next idea, the one with the old friends. This one was a bit trickier. I wanted to show their history without spelling it all out. A few lines of dialogue, a shared look, that kind of thing.
- Brainstormed scene ideas.
- Chose a few to work with.
- Wrote the first draft of each scene.
- Focused on keeping it concise.
- Tried to show, not tell, the story.
After I had a few scenes down, I went back and read them. Some parts worked, others… not so much. I tweaked the dialogue, added a few details here and there, and cut out anything that felt unnecessary.
Honestly, it was harder than I thought it would be. Getting the tone right, making the characters feel real in just a few lines—that takes some practice. But it was also pretty rewarding. By the end of the day, I had a handful of short scenes that I felt okay about. They weren’t perfect, but they were mine. And it is a pretty decent start.
What I learned:
- Keep it simple. Short scenes are all about getting to the point.
- Show, don’t tell. A few well-chosen words can say a lot.
- Read it out loud. It helps to hear how the dialogue sounds.
- Don’t be afraid to edit. Cut out anything that doesn’t add to the scene.
I’ll definitely keep practicing this short scene stuff. It’s a great way to work on my writing and come up with new ideas. And who knows, maybe one day I’ll even string them all together into something bigger. But for now, I’m happy just playing around with these little moments in time.