Applying screenwriting tips to your novel

I recently came across some simple but impactful screenwriting tips. The advice said every scene should be one of three things: a fight, a seduction or a negotiation.

Sound a little too simple? Maybe. But when you think about it, especially when it comes to films or television dramas, there’s a lot of truth to it. Think about your favourite big and small screen scenes. One of my favourite films is “When Harry Met Sally”. Almost every scene between Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan is either a fight, a seduction or a negotiation (or all three at once). And man, does that make for a lot of tension and excitement.

With books, however, I think this advice is a little more complicated. There’s much more filler in novels than films. Backstory, character development, plot intricacies, details about the setting and so forth. And of course the beauty of language. But the point to take from the screenwriting advice is to keep conflict and tension front and center. Don’t let your novel drag because it’s too full of backstory or character development or other things that slow down the momentum. You want your readers eager to know what happens next, because that’s what keeps them turning pages. If you have important backstory to get into your novel, do it sparingly and strategically, like in dialogue or through more subtle methods. And don’t get too caught up in word acrobatics…simple is always better.

Go back over the scenes in your novel and apply the FSN measuring stick (fight, seduction, negotiation). Do your scenes have enough FSN in them? Where might you add a fight or a seduction or a negotiation?

One of my can’t-do-without writing manuals is “Screenwriting Tips For Authors” by Alexandra Sokoloff. Check it out. Because if you want to ratchet up the excitement factor in your novel, look to inject some screenwriting tips.