How to Structure a Fantasy Scene (6 Steps)

Here's a simple way to structure great scenes in your fantasy novel.
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⏲️ TIMESTAMPS:
00:00 - Introduction
00:35 - Goal
05:30 - Conflict
08:19 - Disaster
13:33 - Reaction
16:07 - Dilemma
17:16 - Decision
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Hi! My name's Jed. I'm a fantasy author with three published novels and a bestselling video game. On this channel, I draw from my 10+ years of writing experience to help you become a better writer.
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(Note: I don't always get a chance to reply to every email. However, I do my best to read as many of them as possible, and it's my preferred method of communication.)

[@Rontay731]

Jed: “Ten explosions in a row feels boring.” Fast and the Furious: “So you’re saying we need eleven explosions in a row?”

[@Jed_Herne]

Once you get over 10, it becomes exciting again

[@lonishthummanah3090]

I must say amongst all other writers on YT you were the one to directly guide me to what I really needed to finally start writing my first novel. You deserve lifelong thanks, Mr. Herne.

[@XavierSchwindt]

Congratulations!

[@Jed_Herne]

Thanks for the kind words! Very glad to help. Good luck with the novel.

[@lonishthummanah3090]

Thank you very much. It's the start of a long adventure, i sense. Still having some problems with my magic system.

[@andrex1456]

To compound on this, I feel like so many YTers give advice in such a sarcastic or heavily biased way. Maybe it’s just their style, and it’s not necessarily a bad thing. But you really give the sense that you’re ENCOURAGING us to write and improve! It’s hard to explain, but it’s very much appreciated :)

[@tanvir4621]

Yeah his videos are so useful

[@PhoenixCrown]

In addition to a fantastic structure, I love that you addressed 2 important things: 1) This applies at all levels of a story, from the scene to the series. 2) It's cyclical. As soon as the protagonist makes a decision, we see their new goal. Thanks Jed!

[@Jed_Herne]

Glad you picked those points up - they're both very important

[@zipitooverkill4262]

​@@Jed_Herne I've read in a different writing guide that you should split your 6 steps into two chapters, like this: A "Scene" - Chapter with - Goal, Conflict, Resolution Followed by a "Sequel" - Chapter with - Reaction, Dilemma, Decision. So you're saying, it doesn't have to be always this structure? For example: Chapter 1: Goal, Conflict, Resolution Chapter 2: Reaction, Dilemma, Decision (which is the new Goal in Chapter 3) And I could make something like this? Chapter 1: Goal, Conflict Chapter 2: Resolution, Reaction, Dilemma Chapter 3: Decision, ... But should I then always be aware to "close the circle?"

[@TheZetaKai]

The true power of this scene structure technique is as an analytical tool, used to diagnose why a scene might not be working as intended. If you have scenes that are working just fine, then you don't necessarily need to check if they are fitting this structure exactly (although, if you do, then you will probably find that it does fit quite well into this template). But a scene that isn't working can be analyzed by this paradigm to find out why it isn't working, and this what needs to be added, cut, or changed.

[@Jed_Herne]

Absolutely - I use this structure all the time to diagnose the scenes in my stories and in the stories I edit.

[@GarrettCARROTZ]

I think also using it just to get past writers block, which can also happen during the outlining phase (I'm currently working on mine). I've actually recently been looking into scene structure to try and figure out how to plot the outline out - this video could not have come at a better time.

[@WritingAdviceUA]

Just spot on! I've just started writing 8th chapter where my mind went blank. The video will help for sure Congrats on 50k🎉

[@Jed_Herne]

Glad to help!

[@hannahl.4494]

Thank you for mentioning that sometimes you need to allow readers to rest. Many writertubers are all like "This is how you keep readers up way past their bedtime by addicting them to your story". Like, no. As a reader, I don't want that to happen all the time. And as a writer, I don't want to be a kind of toxic factor in a person's life that prevents them from fullfilling their basic needs. I can do that occasionally, like in the beginning, to pull them in, and towards the end. When I pick up a new book or one that has almost reached the climax at like 10pm, I'm signing up to not sleeping enough. Sometimes I just want to read for 20 minutes on the bus. And that should be possible. Reading shouldn't be like TikTok, where you're like "only this one specific video" and then you end up watching for four hours. People read to relax, not to develop an addiction.

[@ForestEdgeGardens]

Jed, I can’t tell you how valuable your channel has been for me. I’m in my 40s and have been “working on” a book since my early 20s. Your channel combined with Brandon Sandersons BYU lectures have propelled my work forward, helping me fix the mistakes that I could never pinpoint. “Why isn’t this working?” has become “Oh, I get it!” I can’t thank you enough for creating this content. I’ve found myself rewatching many of your videos in the past year as more things start to click for me, and each time I rewatch I pick up something I missed previously. ❤

[@dylanaltland215]

I love watching your videos Jed. I'm embarrassed to say that I really haven't gotten down to start writing my story yet. But your videos have been such a huge help and inspiration for fleshing out how I'm going to structure my story and write it out. It's going to be an urban fantasy story so all the videos you've made on writing fantasy and how to build that world has pushed me along. Keep up the good work Jed

[@Jed_Herne]

Glad to know the videos have helped! Now get to your writing :)

[@Sundji]

I love that you're using notion. My notion page has been so helpful for turning my disparate ideas into useful notes. When I get inspiration, I can get the idea down without it getting lost in my notes. When I have a new character, I create a new character page in my database. I can easily connect themes to character to places to scenes and have all the information I ever thought up about all those things readily available when I open up the scene. I don't worry about forgetting details about worldbuilding because it's so easy to reference my notes.

[@SandersonK]

I would love a video on how to properly transition between scenes. I struggle with writing effective segways that connect two plot points

[@bohannon2692]

I failed and missed my shot, realizing I had failed my plan, I decided to leave the shipping doc. Chapter 2- After leaving the shipping dock and heading home, I decided to lay down and collect my thoughts....hope this helps

[@kevinnuneznoriega8965]

Remember this method can change depending of the theme. As exemple, my story is abou scientific dissemination. I need to think about what the chapter or the scene will teach to the audience rather than just the feelings or event the character goes through.

[@noPotatoesAtAll]

that point about having it fit in the overall plot makes so much sense! i've always been able to identify manufactured conflict in other people's writings & works but it always seemed to slip into mine - and now i know why! thanks a ton, these videos are so helpful

[@calvy2279]

I'm still learning here but is a scene when there is one section of paragraphs finished with a line break?

[@PhoenixCrown]

My understanding of a scene is more centered around what Jed's talking about in this video. In other words, it has less to do with the number of words or paragraphs and more to do with progress in your story. A scene where the antagonist lays a trap for the protagonist might be much shorter than a scene where the protag defeats the antag and self actualizes at the end of his character arc. (If it helps, in my book, I think of a scene as something I separate with a line of *** or a new chapter.)

[@user-mb6el6uq5n]

Most of the writers I know call a scene one individual section of text. That is, that has a beginning and ending, either with white space, a little picture/line of dots *** or at the start/end of a chapter. You could also call it everything that happens in a small interval of time in the same area with the same group of people. As for me, I call that a sequence (because it may have more than 1 scene that directly follows on). A chapter is made up of 1 or more scenes. Often, a chapter is a single sequence, but may be more.

[@queilef88]

Thank you, sir.

[@Dazeye3]

Hey, I am writing a fantasy novel that focuses on character and world development. And I want to show how the characters are shaped by the world around them. Can you pleae make a video on how.

[@Tarazed609]

Thank you for sharing your knowledge, it's incredibly helpful!

[@tenousivy2132]

I’m so glad I found your yt it has helped me a lot in the editing and has shown me how to flesh my story out more

[@unnamednamed1067]

When I publish my next book, I will dedicate it to you 😭😭

[@user-ek3xt8nq7x]

Amazing video! By far one of the most helpful so far. Every one of your videos teaches me a better tip then the rest. Keep on going!

[@lastoreoandmilk4997]

Great video, will be rewatching and taking notes. Loved the point about making sure the conflict is relevant.

[@salaheddineberla2983]

Thank u so much

[@TSVisits]

I've heard this stuff before, but you explain the structure of a scene thoroughly and with deep insight. It's very helpful. Thanks for this video. You're the best.

[@joshuaparker7095]

I'm super appreciative of this video Jed! It is helping me so much with thinking about how to write my novel, short stories, and just scenes in general!

[@m.j.johnsonbooks7856]

I’ve finally started trying to use Notion with the new short story I’m working on. It’s been a lot of fun to experiment with, in definitely going to save that template. Cheers Jed! Can’t wait for 100K!

[@Jed_Herne]

That's awesome, glad to hear that Notion has been helping you!

[@Cobalt004]

Thanks a lot. That helps a lot, as I was struggling writing the 2nd book of my 7 book fantasy sery. Even though I’m writing in french, I found your advices very helpful. (You’ve gained a new subscriber! ☺️)

[@fatherjune]

i'm working on a book, i'm on chapter 2 and this is really helpful! thanks so much, Jed! :)

[@ExiledinElysium]

Really insightful structure breakdown. Honestly impressed. That big list of types of scenes/goals at 2:34 is awesome. I'd love to get a copy of that.

[@anthonywritesfantasy]

One of your best videos yet! I really appreciate your insights.

[@Jed_Herne]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@CoffeeMug-yv1ks]

Thanks you Jed ❤ I'm just a guy who writes my first fanfic and I got stuck after the first chapter. With your wise advices I worked on the structure and boom 💥, the story just writes itself. This is amazing 😍

[@XavierSchwindt]

Thank you so much Jed for these videos! They are really encoraging and the highlight of my youtube experience. Also thank you so much for making them available in podcast form! Keep up the great work!

[@Jed_Herne]

Glad you like them!

[@heatherkline6766]

Hey, Jed! I found this video so interesting; when I really thought about it, I realized that I already write my scenes this way. Wow. Your spelling it out helped me see this. In a novel (the middle volume of a trilogy) that I am working on, I discovered that the main dramatic question I have written as a driver to the story is crafted through a scene that follows this process, but I stop halfway through (right after the 'disaster'). This means that you are always wondering how the scene resolved; which isn't resolved until a chapter or two before the end.

[@4984christian]

I reach a point where I come closer and closer to consider actually writing my story. Please do more of these videos! I have a rough outline for the plot and some inportant scenes. But I need more theory to develope characters and dialogue.

[@joshuaparker7095]

Also, congrats on 50k subscribers!

[@Jed_Herne]

Thank you!

[@Arkitekt014]

Absolutely amazing video! Definitely one that I’ll revisit multiple times. 😂

[@Jed_Herne]

Glad it was helpful!

[@GarrettCARROTZ]

I really love the scene format list! I'm currently copying it down lol, but I think it would help a lot of people out if it was put somewhere for every video!!!

[@ArtbyMSB]

Great video jed, always bringing that fire content. Top quality content. Can you please find us more writers like Brandon Sanderson? I became a fan of his because of you, even though I am not his biggest fan of mistborn, his writing and speaking is on point.

[@AnimatorHeadSpace]

Such a good video man! Love the tips/wisdom.

[@Jed_Herne]

Thank you! Looks like you've got some cool videos on your channel as well.

[@AnimatorHeadSpace]

@@Jed_Herne Thanks man! Appreciate that.

[@WastelanderSky]

Despite being unlikely to become an author, I enjoy watching your videos

[@valentinaegorova-vg7tb]

Dear Jed, CONGRATULATIONS ON 50 000 SUBSCRIBERS! YOUR ENTHUSIASM IS REALLY INSPIRING. I AM SURE THAT YOU WILL HAVE 1 MILLION SUBSCRIBERS PRETTY SOON. BRAVO!!!!

[@serbrawl7981]

thanks dad

[@mathieuleader8601]

I like those dominoes with runes in the thumbnail

[@sanjemyles3944]

Great video learned something new. Could you do a video on How to outline your Novel please?

[@Jed_Herne]

It's in the pipeline :)

[@stijnlenaerts9306]

Great video Jed! Your advice is not only really interesting, but genuinly helpful! There's one thing I'm a little confused about though. In the video, you say that a scene consists of 6 steps and that chapters can end mid-scene at step 3 for example. However, in the template you show, the name of the scenes ARE the Chapters of Harry Potter. Am I missing spmething here or is this just a demonstration of what the layout is like? Because what would the naming convention be of a scene that Starts in one chapter and ends in the next?

[@magenta53]

I have a problem. My fantasy story has 5 seemingly equal main characters. I intend to only reveal who the actual main character at the latter part of the story. The problem is most of your examples assume one main protagonist, so it's usually hard to relate cause the dynamic is different with multiple main characters on a single quest. Can you make a video about writing multiple main characters on a quest, DnD style

[@CraftBasti]

I'm just coming from your video "these 7 fantasy tropes work every time" where you recommend a low stakes characterization scene, for example sitting around a bonfire. How would this align with the technique of this video?

[@indranreddy6547]

Hi Jed...just need to ask...regarding your scene mapping template - is the payment once off or per month?

[@glcorpmember]

What program is being used here? I would love something like that to help me organize better

[@creatureofdarknessxd1166]

I watched half the video before I realized how recent it was posted.

[@InnocenceVVX]

Hey Jed, do you really think EVERY scene needs a disaster? Or can the disaster be a small victory with the same reaction, dilemma and decision afterwards?

[@shootingstars6762]

I think you can tweak a scene's structure to suit your needs. Do whatever feels right for the story and your characters. If you don't feel like it needs to be a disaster but a victory instead, go for it! Just make sure to add variety throughout your story. Variety keeps things entertaining and interesting.

[@unicorntomboy9736]

I sm struggling to continue with my novel, si ive taken a break from it for now. Is this a bad idea?

[@Sunnyflowerpuppy]

It's actually a good idea to take a break from your novel. It helps your brain relax and refresh. When you go back, you feel the urge to continue and improve on the section of your novel that you are stuck on.

[@unicorntomboy9736]

@@Sunnyflowerpuppy I have 1/4 of my book completed as of right now I have been playing the video game Sea of Stars, which is helping me get some inspiration

[@hannahl.4494]

"Wants to make Voldemort immortal". So he want to turn him into Voldimmort?🙃

[@hannahl.4494]

13:20 Why does this person look like they're being held captive and reading from a poster?^^

[@mcrumph]

This feels very cookie-cutterish--& then, & then, & then. Which is really why I gave up on fantasy 30 years ago. Watching some of your videos has inspired me to retry this genre. I was working on a fantasy novel back in the 90s, but when I gave up reading fantasy, I quit the book as well (since then I have written 2 novels, another couple novellas, & half a dozen short stories). I decided to try to come at it from a different angle: not writing another over-bloated high fantasy of 16 dozen books (though, to be sure, the publishers are loving this trend), but from the point of view of the everyman. "Hey, I'm just trying to live my life here," as he watches people racing about doing gods know what. Imagine that Waiting for Godot took place in The Boys universe (sorry, I would use a more medieval scenario, but not up to speed on current publications). Yes, it's true, my favorite period in literature is European Modernism (you know, all those books that have minimal/no plots). I like to set myself a fairly high bar & if I can figure out how to pull this off to my own satisfaction, then I will have succeeded.

[@evilgenius97]

I was just reminded on how i never actually believed Snape was bad in Harry Potter

[@ComEnter-kd9og]

You should really fix up your website it is currently a cesspool of bots

[@matt_jude]

Listen man, I’m all for you just making videos about tips that helped you personally (at least I hope that this is something that you use yourself), but why tf do you need to advertise your writing course in the middle of it? Yes, that question was rhetorical. I know you are retroactively leading the viewer to believe you’re actually some advanced expert so they’ll enlist in your writing courses. When you say you’re “published”, you conveniently leave out that you’re only self-published. No shade against self-published authors, it just means you have no background in publishing to actually support anything in your coaching program. Then charge amateur writers hundreds, no wait, THOUSANDS of dollars to join. Do you seriously not know how scummy of a move that is? Even if you were an accomplished writer/editor with decades of industry experience I’d say that is still morally grey, but you don’t even have these aforementioned accolades. I know I come off mean, but seriously Jed why can’t you just post your writing advice as your own personal solution to things and leave it open to the viewer to choose if they want it. Why all this marketing bullshit with testaments of your coaching? Propagandizing your videos like this makes your advice come off disingenuous. Like only you have cracked the code to getting published and all these aspiring writers need to do is listen to it, but, oh wait, you can’t because it’s behind the paywall. The reason I hate this is because it makes me have to evaluate your work as a commodity rather than the art it’s intended to be. And let me tell you man, your shit is not that good to be selling yourself as some guru. You’re just a run-of-the-mill guy who likes to capitalize off of your scanty writing advice. That’s all well and good until you start phishing for other people’s money. However, if you think otherwise, please release your data to me. Show me that what you actually preach is worth the price these people have to pay. I’ll take down all of my other comments and apologize if that holds true.

[@shootingstars6762]

First of all, do you have any experience with writing? Have you read any of his books? I know we all can sometimes intuitively sense when something is off in a book or tell when it's poorly written, but oftentimes, we let our biases get in the way. I'm not sure how much he charges for his writing course. I haven't looked, but he has posted and shared a lot of free material. He's allowed to sell his services. People make their own choices, and if they decide to buy his course, you can't fault him for it. From what videos I've watched from his channel, I can see some well-known authors actually do use some of these strategies. I'm sure if you were to pick up any good book, you'd actually be able to recognize these strategies he's pointing out. All writers learn from other writers. If you find his advice unhelpful, just choose someone else to learn from. I know you want to help other people, but most people aren't going to listen if you sound rude. I'm aware that truth can be hard to phrase tactfully, and sometimes the truth will hurt no matter what, but when we want to give criticism, it's important we take the time to consider other people's feelings. You can be honest, but you can also be polite.