Scene Skipping

Makenna Grace

If you’re a writer, then you most likely have been in the predicament of having a point A and a point C without a way to connect them. It’s frustrating, especially if it's a project you are passionate about or a class assignment with an upcoming due date. Sometimes you worry that this means you aren’t meant to be a writer. Personally, I have experienced this a multitude of times and, unfortunately, it has made me abandon many projects.

You can try to muscle through and write point B to connect A and C, but that comes with its own problem. In one of the first stories I wrote, I got stuck and ended up introducing a character, only to have her die two sentences after her introduction. It got me to move on with the narrative and, looking back, the way I wrote it was a bit funny, but it then affected the rest of the story when it was never meant to exist in the first place. Besides, forced out writing always seems misplaced, and it can be hard to revise, especially if that scene introduces an important plot point, such as a character death.

Recently, however, I’ve begun using a technique I call ‘scene skipping.’ Instead of forcing myself to write point B, I leave a space for it and move immediately to point C. I get to write what I want to write while still giving myself time to figure out the in-between. This technique is a simple solution to a common problem and doesn’t require much effort to execute. You can easily mark the break and continue writing without interruption.

The most common way I mark the area for the in between scenes is with a line of em dashes. Sometimes I spam the enter key. One way I’ve heard of is to mark the area with ELEPHANTS. While I don’t use that one, as I believe I’d forget why I’d put it there, it might work for you. Point B also doesn’t have to be defined by size or time. Is it just one scene? Or is it a number of scenes? Does it cover a week of time within your story or a month?

It does wonders for productivity. My brain no longer wanders, looking for point B. And because it no longer wanders, it doesn’t get exhausted with the story anymore. Rather dragging it around in a circle like a dead weight, I’m able to sprint straight forward with it.

I don’t lose interest in it as it’s no longer a burden to me. Seeing your hobby as an obligation can often kill your love for it. Since beginning to use scene-skipping, I don’t give up on a piece as easily.

Scene-skipping also often helps write point B, as I know what I need to set in place for the rest of the story to flow. In point A, two characters may be good friends, while in point C, they could be dating. I then know I need to show them getting together in point B. Does point C take place in a different area than point A? Point B needs to show how they get to the setting of point C.

I hope by sharing this method, it’ll help writers with their production and enjoyment of writing. As stated before, it’s done wonders for me. I’m still jumping between stories and writing like six at a time. None of them are finished, and might never be, but the point is I’m writing. And that’s the most important part of being a writer. Since it is such an easy method, you can put your own spin on it. Find out what works for you and, most importantly, don’t give up just because you’re stuck on point B.