Deleted Scenes
Let’s Talk About It
I’m sure I’m not the only one who has spent days perfecting that killer scene only to go back to it later and decide, no way this stays in. I’ve run into the deleted-scene conundrum more times than I care to admit. Usually, it comes with several levels of anguish before the dreaded axe falls. Let’s talk a bit about how I get through it?
First, I try to talk myself into keeping it. I can usually blow past this phase fairly quickly. Then I think of maybe modifying it, you know, toning it down, making it less serious, or less romantic. And finally, I apply the doggone-it rule, remove it, and then act as if it were never there. No harm, no foul, right? That thinking usually gets overruled because I knew it was there, and I know at one time I had a reason for putting it there. So what do I do? I leave it alone and make a note to go back to it later.
What are some typical questions I ask to help justify the decision to scrap a scene? A few come to mind whenever I face this dilemma. Remember, this is first-draft stuff. Nothing at this point is final.
Does it advance the plot?
The obvious answer here should be a resounding yes. If this answer doesn’t jump out at me immediately, I put a tick in the possibly remove box and circle back during the proofread.
Does it reveal more than you wanted it to?
Sometimes during proofreads, I notice parts of a scene that give away a bit more than I originally intended. I’m always mindful that any mods could contradict something in a later scene. While I don’t shy away from making changes I think are necessary, I make a note of it to reference as I continue the proofreading process.
Does it negatively affect the pace?
Story pacing is important. Slow-moving scenes can cause a reader to put the book down. Too fast a pace can cause confusion. I’ve found there’s usually a sweet spot. Find it, aim for it, and things will be fine.
Does it open a door you’d struggle with having to explain?
This is a good one. It comes into play whenever I intend to write graphic-intensive scenes, such as a killer doing his thing. Are your readers going to question your sanity? Is it too graphic? Is the level of violence a turnoff? Can you make the same impact with less detail? This is an area where it is really important to understand your readership. Analyzing results from advertising will tell you exactly who they are. You can use that info to see what else they’re reading and make adjustments based on actual data.
Is it too emotional or too sappy to keep the reader engaged?
Appy the same principle as above. But there’s more. This one dogged me when writing the book Reqisite Evil. There was a very emotional interchange building between a man and the lead character who, having just met physically, discovered they had always shared a unique telepathic bond. The scene was slow-rolling into a forbidden-love type of thing, and it would be graphically intense. I labored over whether to scrap it or to be a rebel and invoke my creative freedom. My ultimate decision was to scrap it because it read more like a scene from a romance novel than a thriller. Do I regret the decision? No. Maybe. Sometimes.
How to Tell When Deleting a Scene Is the Right Thing to Do.
Sometimes, deleting a scene just makes sense. For instance, I’ll create a scene that I believe is necessary. But is it really? Is it really necessary to advance the story or is it actually just filler? Does it give the reader crucial information, or can they do without the extra info? These are some questions I ask when trying to decide whether to keep or remove a certain scene. And then the big one — does it even make sense?
Is the Scene Necessary?
It’s a question I should be able to answer quickly. If I have to think about it, it might be unnecessary. Typically, scenes that beg this question come down to a judgment call. If I feel I could go either way, I scrap it, reasoning that it does little to advance the story. Or it just feels like I’m stalling before launching into something I really look forward to writing. You know the feeling. That feeling you get when some force catches your fingers and you can’t stop writing. You’re pounding the words out at maximum pace. You’re on a roll.
What Types of Scenes Are Red Flag Material?
Scenes with too much detail - give me detail, yes. But be reasonable about it. My goodness, I read a book by a prominent author a while back, and in the first chapter she used an entire page to describe a bead of water sliding down a wall. I excused that, but then she did the same thing in the very next chapter describing a man turning a doorknob. I couldn’t take it anymore, and put the book down.
Scenes with not enough detail - I wrote a scene in my book The Pursuit 2 that told of an inept character changing out a fuel pump on a friend’s car. He ended up puncturing the fuel tank and drenching himself in gasoline. The scene ended without closure of the project. During the first proofread, I noticed the following chapter started with him walking into a crowded coffee shop reeking of gasoline. His mere presence caused customers to run for the exits. I had provided no context to explain why he thought being drenched in gasoline was not an issue. Needless to say, I had some editing to do.
To Save or Not to Save Your Deleted Scenes?
Save them. I keep every word (sort of) from every scene, page, or paragraph I delete. I never know where I might reuse it. If nothing else, I can use it as a reminder of how deeply I sucked at writing prior to my current bestseller-level stuff. :)
The problem with me is that I have no cataloging competence. So crap piles up in obscure folders in vague directories on network drives buried God knows where on random servers I may no longer even have access to. I’m a former IT guy and should know better, but apparently I don’t. Note the “sort of” reference above.
Conclusion
The decision of whether to keep or delete a scene is the writer’s choice. There are no hard and fast rules. While there are plenty of examples from others in the industry on how they handle it. By all means, take them into consideration when you’re making your decision. But ultimately the decision is yours. You’re the one who’ll face your readers’ pleasure or displeasure with your decision. Remember, your writing is your form of expression. Put it out there and let the chips fall where they may. Says the guy who's had plenty of chips fall opposite of where he’d like them to.
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