Scenes are essential fictional units, and if a single unit falters, then an entire novel or short story can be weakened. While there is no paint-by-numbers formula for writing powerful scenes, writers can drastically improve their manuscripts by understanding the primary components of a given scene and how to manipulate those components to create the desired amount of drama, emotion, tension, energy, and intrigue. "Make a Scene" explains the fundamentals of strong scene construction and how other essential fiction-writing techniques, such as character development, pacing, description, and transitions must function within the framework of individual scenes in order to provide substance and structure to the overall story.