Then, knowing that, you craft a scene that drive toward that point (the best scenes deliver only one salient point), and you get to it quickly. It’s really that simple.

To best understand it, focus on what not to do. Don’t show us a bunch of chit chat, irrelevant business and details, don’t bid time, don’t over-describe scenery, don’t clutter with flashbacks and asides… just get to it.

Let’s say two people are having a conversation, and the point of the scene is a specific message one party has for the other. To “enter the scene at the last possible moment,” you’d avoid all the banter leading up to that moment (unless there’s a reason for it to get there, if there’s “content” there), and enter the scene like this:

John put down his cup and drew a deep breath. He closed his eyes a moment, signalling a shift.

“Anything wrong,” asked Mary.

“Actually, there is,” said John, leaning forward, his hands gripping each other with sudden ferocity. “You need to know something. I don’t know how else to say it. But I’m in love with someone else. I’m sorry.

End of example (this is where she hits him in the head with a fireplace poker, by the way).

Hope this helps. It’s a guideline, and therefore very imprecise and open to many exceptions. Just keep it front and center and, when you feel a scene is lagging or padded, ask yourself if you’ve entered that scene at the last possible moment. Chances are you haven’t, and when you do (in a rewrite), you’ll quickly see how powerful this can be.

Thanks for addressing scenes. I’m looking forward to your Six Core Competencies book coming out. Don’t make us wait too long.