How To Block Your Scenes

How to Block Your Scenes

Credit: https://www.septembercfawkes.com/2018/01/how-to-handle-blocking.html

What is blocking?

The term "blocking" is borrowed from play performances. Blocking is just about anything an actor does that isn't dialogue: where they stand, where they look, how they interact with the setting, how they move across the stage, how close they are to what, how they interact with props. 

Blocking is just as important in fiction writing! If you don't use blocking, not only does it make it difficult for the audience to imagine where your characters are relative to the setting, but you're selling your story short by not using it to your advantage. Here is what you can do to block your best scenes!

Continuity errors

One of the main problems with blocking in unpublished fiction is continuity errors. In one line, a character is sitting on a couch in the living room, and a few lines later, they’re sitting on their bed, in the same scene with no sense of motion. Continuity errors also commonly happen with food or with objects characters are holding. Also, watch out for when characters' hands are full or when you have them doing something they aren't capable of. In some cases, motions can be assumed--but make sure they can be, or that you imply them somehow, so that it doesn't read like a continuity error. Make sure you watch carefully for when characters sit down, when they’re standing, and if they do the same motions twice.

Spatial vagueness

Another one of the most common problems with blocking, is vagueness. This usually happens because the setting, objects, or characters' distances from one another or other things haven't been properly established. 

For example, take the quote, "Joey walked down the street"--yet as the scene goes on, there is no sense of what street, what city, what it looks like, what season it is, or where or why he is walking in the first place. Sometimes there isn’t any sense of setting and only conversations and body language, and then there’s a line like, "Tiff walked inside." Were they were outside that whole conversation? And what did she walk into? When blocking is vague, the audience has to fill in the blanks, which can be a problem if it's not what the author actually pictures.

Specificity

Being specific isn't necessarily the same as being detailed. Details can help make something be specific, but they aren't the same thing. And with blocking, in some cases, the more detailed it is, the more it hurts the story because it slows the pacing and changes the story's focus. In the example above, "Joey walked down the street," the sentence can be more specific by adding and changing a few words. "Joey walked down Mulberry Street, autumn leaves crunching under his feet." In certain kinds of action scenes, it can be very important to be specific in word choice, and not in details. "Margaret hit Lara in the jaw." But if you try to put too much detail into action, it can slow the moment way down. In some cases, it's helpful to establish the setting before the characters start interacting with it. This makes the setting or "stage" more specific in the reader's mind. Be specific, not vague. How much detail you include depends on pacing and the focus of the scene.

Blocking to contribute to or emphasize points

This is especially true for conversations. As an argument gets more intense, a character may invade the other's personal space. If one character is vulnerable, whether the second draws closer or steps away can convey a lot. Of course, you can use setting and props to do the same thing. As an argument gets intense, one character might throw something at the other. If someone is uncomfortable, they could put up a barrier. If they’re feeling vulnerable, they might "hide" or "block" themself. This is blocking that emphasizes and contributes to the situation or point at hand, and even heightens tension. Even in a scene where blocking is the primary focus (building an invention, forging a sword, hunting), how the character interacts with the setting and objects can emphasize points--how sweaty their hands are against a climbing wall, the way they beat the metal, how many shots they shoot.

Blocking to convey character

Similar, yet different from, the last section, you can use blocking to convey character, rather than just the moment at hand. A character who sees litter at a park and picks it up is much different than one who adds to it. A character who comforts a crying stranger is different than one who ignores them. A character who always makes sure they’re near an exit is different than one who could care less. Blocking is great to show character and their feelings, rather than tell them.

This is a great time to add in mannerisms and tendencies as well--this way the audience can get to know your character well through only their actions!

Blocking to give motion to still or stagnant scenes

A lot of beginning writers will open a story with a character sitting and thinking. One of the reasons this is a problem is because there is no motion and nothing happening in the present moment. So how do we fix this? Use blocking to add motion. If done correctly, not only does this create more motion and interest, but also gives you material for the two bullet points before this one, so that it can actually add to the introspection and characterization. With that said, some conversations are very important, interesting, have high tension, or natural draws--they may have incorporeal motion--and already carry the audience, and sometimes when you put in blocking, it actually takes away from that, instead of contributing to it, by drawing away the audience's attention. So watch for that, as well!

Blocking for natural pauses, lulls in conversations, and for beats in dialogue

On the topic of dialogue exchanges, when there is a natural pause in dialogue or a lull in conversation, instead of saying, "There was a moment of quiet," you can put in a bit of blocking to convey that. Sometimes actions really do speak louder than words!

You can also use blocking for beats in dialogue. Rather than always using dialogue tags, you can use a beat to imply who is speaking what line. It doesn’t clutter up the dialogue with tags, and it adds to the emotional impact of the scene!

Multitasking blocking

Try to have your blocking accomplish more than one thing. Maybe it can hike up tension and convey character. Maybe it can emphasize a point and help us follow a fight scene. Maybe it can replace a dialogue tag and convey something important about the setting. And remember, in some scenes blocking is more important than in other scenes!