30 April 2026·3 min read
Scene or summary: how to tell which one you need
Some moments need a full scene. Others work better in a few lines.
Go through a chapter and mark passages as scene or summary.
A scene lets us experience a moment through action, dialogue and detail. Summary covers events at a distance, often moving through time more quickly.
If an important confrontation happens in summary, try writing it as a scene. See whether being there changes how we understand the characters.
Where summary helps
Giving every event a full scene can make a chapter feel slow. Summary helps you move past what needs less space.
It can cover a repeated routine, carry us through several months or bring us to the next important moment. Look for places where a few sentences would give the reader enough.
Notice where you spend time
The amount of space you give an event affects how important it feels.
If a minor exchange runs for pages while a major decision passes in a sentence, check whether that balance is doing what you want. Sometimes it is. Sometimes the draft needs a different emphasis.
Read more
These books explore the ideas in more detail, with examples you can try in your own work.
Self-Editing for Fiction Writers · Renni Browne & Dave King
Practical advice from two editors, with examples of how a passage can change in revision.
Stein on Writing · Sol Stein
Practical guidance on revision, with exercises to try on a draft.
For feedback on your own draft, Karlove offers a letter with examples from your pages, reviewed by Aksel before it's sent.
Stuck on your own draft?
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