Some ideas

Archwizard

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I just wanted to know how will you start a novel scene.
Suppose the mc is in a shopping area which is very much crowded how will you describe it.
Not getting any good idea in how to describe it.
So can you help please?
 

Amok

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where's MC positioned? what's noise level of crowd? Are they moving fast, strolling, dining, pushing shopping carts etc.?
Structure: pillars, sunroofs, escalators, elevators etc. flooring, plants, air quality. Is MC observing surroundings at a table, or stuck on their phone? MC browsing, MC there with someone else etc.?

'hustle and bustle', 'murmur of shoppers', 'clatter of trolleys', 'smell of roast chicken permeating through the space', 'fella slipping on some spilled ice cream', 'grandma assaulting mime with her cane', etcetera etcetera.
 

Archwizard

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where's MC positioned? what's noise level of crowd? Are they moving fast, strolling, dining, pushing shopping carts etc.?
Structure: pillars, sunroofs, escalators, elevators etc. flooring, plants, air quality. Is MC observing surroundings at a table, or stuck on their phone? MC browsing, MC there with someone else etc.?

'hustle and bustle', 'murmur of shoppers', 'clatter of trolleys', 'smell of roast chicken permeating through the space', 'fella slipping on some spilled ice cream', 'grandma assaulting mime with her cane', etcetera etcetera.
It's urban based story where the mc is going to the supermarket. And it's quite the bustle in the streets due to something something.
Skip it unless he meets his love rival or enemy there.
Nothing like that
 

LostLibrarian

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I start with the reason the scene is there. Most of the times, that's a certain information that needs to come across and should be new to the reader.
Afterwards, I build the scene around that.

If I want the MC to find a certain weapon or equipment by chance, I focus on him going shopping and just looking for stuff without a clear goal. In that case, the description can be on the environment or some nice merchandise to display how the focus of the characters is also all over the place.
If my MC is there to find a certain person, the description might focus more on the dress and looks of random people until the MC spots the right person.
If I want to display that an area is really weak/stricken by poverty, I might focus on the quality of the merchandise and how everything is subpar. The other way round, a heavier focus on prices can display the lack of money by the MC himself.
If I want to have a fight or action sequence later, I might focus a bit more on the environment and spacing of the surroundings.

Around that, it's the usual "start big and go to detail" most of the times. Make clear where they are (market), give a short description of the overall scene (many/few people, loud/silent, weather, etc) and then go to the details as needed...
 

TotallyHuman

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Since the perspective of mc is most important, I'd start with how they feel. Scared? Annoyed? Disgusted? If you are kinky, maybe Excited?
 

Amok

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It's urban based story where the mc is going to the supermarket. And it's quite the bustle in the streets due to something something.

Then you're looking at a street scene first off. Cars, bicycles, dog shit etc. MC can be on the phone, or thinking, or whatever as set-up scene. MC can cough due to smoke, or admire architecture, or see someone who attracts them etc.

Then you can go into why they're going to the market(wine for party later that night, ice cream for the kids, tuna for the cat, general groceries etc.) Sets up motive while telling reader more about their life. Supermarkets vary, some have guards, some have music playing, some small, some large... cashiers or electronic checkout, these days in some countries folk would be made to wear corona face condoms and be made to sanitize their hands before entry.

So it all depends on what MC focuses on and how they act: smells teh butchery, leans on trolley, checks fruit for bruises, reads mayo labels, greets a colleague/acquaintance etc.

I'm guessing that supermarkets are quite generic so most readers won't need an in-depth description to know what one looks like, all depends on you in the end.
 

Archwizard

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Then you're looking at a street scene first off. Cars, bicycles, dog shit etc. MC can be on the phone, or thinking, or whatever as set-up scene. MC can cough due to smoke, or admire architecture, or see someone who attracts them etc.

Then you can go into why they're going to the market(wine for party later that night, ice cream for the kids, tuna for the cat, general groceries etc.) Sets up motive while telling reader more about their life. Supermarkets vary, some have guards, some have music playing, some small, some large... cashiers or electronic checkout, these days in some countries folk would be made to wear corona face condoms and be made to sanitize their hands before entry.

So it all depends on what MC focuses on and how they act: smells teh butchery, leans on trolley, checks fruit for bruises, reads mayo labels, greets a colleague/acquaintance etc.

I'm guessing that supermarkets are quite generic so most readers won't need an in-depth description to know what one looks like, all depends on you in the end.
It's the normal supermarket we go too
I start with the reason the scene is there. Most of the times, that's a certain information that needs to come across and should be new to the reader.
Afterwards, I build the scene around that.

If I want the MC to find a certain weapon or equipment by chance, I focus on him going shopping and just looking for stuff without a clear goal. In that case, the description can be on the environment or some nice merchandise to display how the focus of the characters is also all over the place.
If my MC is there to find a certain person, the description might focus more on the dress and looks of random people until the MC spots the right person.
If I want to display that an area is really weak/stricken by poverty, I might focus on the quality of the merchandise and how everything is subpar. The other way round, a heavier focus on prices can display the lack of money by the MC himself.
If I want to have a fight or action sequence later, I might focus a bit more on the environment and spacing of the surroundings.

Around that, it's the usual "start big and go to detail" most of the times. Make clear where they are (market), give a short description of the overall scene (many/few people, loud/silent, weather, etc) and then go to the details as needed...
He's just going to the supermarket to buy ingredients for dinner
Since the perspective of mc is most important, I'd start with how they feel. Scared? Annoyed? Disgusted? If you are kinky, maybe Excited?
Calm
 

LostLibrarian

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He's just going to the supermarket to buy ingredients for dinner
Sounds like a scene I would cut alltogether. It's not really needed and can be skipped because there is no new information for the reader.
It'll end up as "boring filler".
 

LordJoyde

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If the MC goes to the supermarket, maybe he should meet up with the transmigrated demon lord who he thought he killed in his isekai world but actually the demon lord used his overrated 'death' to isekai himself to the hero's world of Earth, where he/she is now living peacefully.
 

TotallyHuman

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If he's calm, you don't want to spend much time describing the scene as it could imply that your character feels a lot about it. Just state the facts plainly, almost as something of an afterthought. Just tell the readers, so mc went to market. It was busy. Mc bought thing, went on his merry way. Don't bother with details and descriptions much or do that, but without putting them in the spotlight. "mc went towards the store, pushing through the waves of people" instead of "people were everywhere mc looked. They took up every square inch of space and he could barely see where to go"
I personally would not give it more than a sentence. Maybe even not as much as a mention in a sentence. Something like "he was in the supermarket, buying things for dinner. Day in and out, the mundane has encroached upon every last part of his life. He was home before he noticed. Day in, day out. Every day. He was so tired"
Even better, just do away with it. Why do you even need a supermarket scene even your character doesn't care about?
 
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BlackKnightX

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I just wanted to know how will you start a novel scene.
Suppose the mc is in a shopping area which is very much crowded how will you describe it.
Not getting any good idea in how to describe it.
So can you help please?
Just visualize the scene in your mind and describe what you see. You don’t need to describe every single details—of course you can, but it will slow down the pace, and if done too much, you might lose reader’s interest.

That’s it. I don’t know what else to tell you, but that’s how I write, usually.

I think of it like watching a movie in my head and then write it down in a way that will help my reader see the same thing. Isn’t that the most important part in writing fictions?

As for how to start, you can start anywhere:
- Inside the character’s head—tell us what they’re thinking at that moment.
- Or outside their head—just like a scene in a movie.

Though, I’m not a professional, but from the little experience I’ve gathered, I can tell you that ‘write it simply’ is the best way to describe a scene.

Read carefully. Write simply, not shallowly.

You can write a beautiful and elegant prose, no problem. But you should keep it simple to make it reader-friendly.
 

Plantorsomething

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I just wanted to know how will you start a novel scene.
Suppose the mc is in a shopping area which is very much crowded how will you describe it.
Not getting any good idea in how to describe it.
So can you help please?
Write it in a way that tells us about the main character, not pointless description
 

SakeVision

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"What new plan have you hatched in that head of yours?"
"We're going to have Steiner drive us to the shopping center, and then we'll look for GameStop."
"But mein Fuhrer, you can't do this!"
"Dammit Jodl, why not?"
"The crowds are huge at this hour!"
"Oh for fuuucks sake! Get your fat ass in the fegelcab right now!"

later

"Gamestop is nowhere to be found. It's not in this shopping district."
"What do you mean, you can't find the store? Look for it! I must buy a new gaming console, right now! If I don't own the last-gen ps, my friends will laugh at me. The snobs! Now bring me here Gamestop. GAMESTOP! GAMESTOP, GAMESTOP!"

even later

"Begungs und fish."
"Call....call Steiner, he will drive us back home.'
"Mein Fuhrer, Steiner...."
"Steiner drove home long ago. We are on our own."
*Hitler addresses the crowd*
"Everyone leaves except Keitel, Jodl, Krebs, und Bungdolf"
*The crowd leaves, but Goebells stays*
"IT WAS AN ORDER! WAITING FOR US UNTIL WE BUY THE NEW PLAYSTATION WAS AN ORDER! How dare you ignore my orders! The military has been lying to me, even Uber! The Taxi drivers are no more than disloyal cowards!"
"Mein Fuhrer, I won't allow you to insult the brave cab drivers...."
"The cab drivers are the scum of german people!"
"Mein Fuhrer, we are in America now...!"
 
Last edited:

Ilikewaterkusa

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I
I just wanted to know how will you start a novel scene.
Suppose the mc is in a shopping area which is very much crowded how will you describe it.
Not getting any good idea in how to describe it.
So can you help please?
Introduce the community and it's feel, then the mc's personality, then abilities then their duties. Then jump into the plot
 

K5Rakitan

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Think of the five senses: Sight, touch, taste, smell, and sound.

Is the MC eating mall food or just smelling it? Is the aroma of the nearby perfume stall overwhelming? Is the MC feeling people bump into them a lot? Can the MC hear snippets of other people's conversation, or are the voices indistinguishable? Sight should be pretty obvious. Use Google Image Search if you need inspiration.

Under normal circumstances, I would recommend going to a nearby mall and taking notes, but that's a very, very bad idea right now:
1.png
 

Alfir

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I just wanted to know how will you start a novel scene.
Suppose the mc is in a shopping area which is very much crowded how will you describe it.
Not getting any good idea in how to describe it.
So can you help please?
I suggest you start with a first perspective to make it more intimate to the reader. If it's a very important scene, the impact of a first perspective will be heavier. You can dedicate a whole chapter to the first perspective in 1 chapter. And if the next chapter is also in the same scene, you can choose to revert to a third perspective or a perspective of another character.

POV shifting is very challenging, but sometimes a compatible POV is all it takes to make the scene.
 
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