21.29: How to Make a Scene

from Writing Excuses Hosted by Mary Robinette Kowal, DongWon Song, Erin Roberts, Dan Wells, and Howard Tayler

What makes a scene feel like a scene? This week, we unpack one of storytelling's most basic building blocks. Our hosts explore where scenes begin and end, how they differ from beats, and why framing and narrative purpose matter more than rigid definitions. We also explore practical prompts for troubleshooting scenes that aren't working and discuss how structure and instinct can work together. Homework: Take one or two scenes from something you've written. Using whatever scene framework works for you, identify the who, what, where, when, why, how, and the vibe of each scene. Then change one element and rewrite the scene to see how that change affects it. WAITLIST for our Final WXR Cruise! Our final WXR cruise is sold out, but you can join our waitlist here! Credits: Your hosts for this episode were Mary Robinette Kowal, Howard Tayler, DongWon Song, and Erin Roberts. It was produced by Emma Reynolds, recorded by Marshall Carr, Jr., and mastered by Alex Jackson. Join Our Writing Community! Writing Retreats Newsletter Patreon Instagram Threads Bluesky TikTok YouTube Facebook Our Sponsors:

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21.29: How to Make a Scene

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How long is this episode of Writing Excuses?

This episode is 28 minutes long.

When was this Writing Excuses episode published?

This episode was published on July 19, 2026.

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