It’s a Book – It’s a Movie

Don’t be misled by the subtitle. We’d all love to have our books turned into scripts for movies. But what I’m referring to is how to make the reader “see” your scenes.

Getting the reader to visualize what they are reading is not easy. It reminds me of an exercise we did at the Science Center on “following directions.” Try to tell someone in words how, exactly, to build a helicopter out of Lego blocks. Trust me, it’s not easy and takes many tries. Writing a scene that a reader can actually see in his/her mind is also not easy.

Take one of your scenes. First, where are you? Indoors, outdoors, a living room, a car, on top of a horse, on the beach? Paint that scene. Is it hot, cold, windy, rainy? What color are the walls of the room? Does a smell waft in from the kitchen, the open window? What’s under your feet? Sawdust, ratty carpet, wood floors, sand?

Next, who’s in the room? People? How many? Animals? How many? Are they male, female, young, old, etc. What animals and where are they? Lying in front of the fireplace? Curled up on the windowsill? What are the people wearing? Robes, undies, tuxedos? Show some facial expressions or body movements to describe their mood. Same for the animals. Is the cat hissing or purring?

I would try some background ambiance to add color to the scene. Is there music playing and what kind? French café, heavy metal or front porch Cajun? Is there a guitar leaning against a wall? A violin? Piano? Are there bookcases stuffed with books? Plants hanging in every window? Food decaying on the kitchen sink? A clock ticking on the mantel or an alarm clock ringing in the bedroom.

If the scene is outdoors, there are still many possibilities to set the scene. Weather, locale descriptions ie: small town, park, parking garage, tavern, university campus. Maybe add noise- sounds like car horns, birds chirping. Or smells like newly-cut grass or a pizza being unboxed.

All of these can help the reader visualize the words on the page. I don’t think you need paragraphs to convey the general meaning. Less is always more. But you might sprinkle in the five senses to help set the scene so the reader sees (hears, smells, tastes, and feels) it as vividly as you do.

Finally, as you re-read your work, close your eyes and picture each scene as if it were in a movie. Can’t do it? It may be time to re-write.