If you've researched writing and read a lot, or a little, of non-fiction on how to write you've probably come across the mysterious "beat". I had heard of it and it had continued to be a mystery until I listened to Will Write for Wine, episode 24 - Making a Scene.

A scene is made up of beats. A beat is a section of conflict.

One of the scenes I've recently revised would break down into beats like this:

  • MC, walking into a backyard picnic, is snubbed by neighbours.
  • MC approaches her best friend to seek solace only to be snubbed by her best friend.
  • MC's sister notices her abandoned, confronts her and tells her to suck it up.
  • MC and her sister get into an argument about the bigger issue facing the community, which is why everyone is snubbing her.
  • The argument reaches the climax and MC decides to leave.
Each beat leading up to the argument is conflict in itself but also works to build up to the argument and climax of the scene.

This is just one model of using beats within a scene. You could have beats in a scene with each lending itself to a different conflict. Such a scene might occur in the beginning of a story where the initial conflicts are shown and whispers of complications are laid.