Scene and Summary

Scene and summary are two basic tools in a writer's kit. They're the equivalent of showing and telling. The challenge for writers is understanding how to use the two effectively. Writing that is all scene and showing is exhausting for readers. There are times that a writer needs to pull back from the intensity of drama and action and do a little synopsis of events. Writing that is all summary and telling is boring for readers. They need to have some dramatic action to hold their interest. There are times that a writer needs to ramp up the tension with some drama and let readers figure things out for themselves. The best writing combines the two and interweaves scene and summary (or showing and telling) into the narrative. The key is knowing what material is best left to summary and what material needs to be dramatized. Anything that is critical to the movement of the story - important events, turning points, etc. - should be written in scene. Information that is less critical to the story's movement and functions as explanation or background rather than action should be written in summary. These principles apply to nonfiction as well as fiction. In nonfiction writing, expound on the important information and summarize the routine information. This will give readers the information they need and still keep them interested. The effective use of scene and summary, or showing and telling, will keep your prose moving and keep your readers riveted to your writing.