The 6 Key Scenes Every Performance Novel Needs

LISTEN TO THIS EPISODE AT: www.savannahgilbo.com/blog/performance-obligatory-scenes

If you're writing genre fiction, you'll want to know the key scenes that make stories in your
chosen genre unique. These obligatory scenes are the key events, decisions, and discoveries that
help move the protagonist along his or her journey from A-Z. They’re also what helps us craft a
story that works AND that will evoke emotional reactions in our readers.

The 6 Key Scenes Every Performance Novel Needs:

If you're writing a performance novel, you can use these key scenes as a framework to outline
your story or as a checklist to help you revise your first draft. Here they are at a glance:

A scene where your protagonist faces an opportunity or challenge to perform.

A scene where your protagonist’s initial plan for achieving their goal fails.
A scene where your protagonist commits to a specific “big event.”
A scene where your protagonist suffers a defeat and must change their approach.
A scene where your protagonist participates in the big event and either wins or loses.
A scene where your protagonist is rewarded whether they won or not.

Beyond these key scenes, there are a handful of conventions that are unique to the performance
genre, too. Conventions are the character roles, settings, micro-events, and values that are
specific to a work of genre fiction.

Learn more about them here: www.savannahgilbo.com/blog/performance-conventions

Notes, Insights, and Reminders:

FICTION EPISODE 27: THE 6 SCENES EVERY PERFORMANCE NOVEL NEEDS

WRITING
made easy www.savannahgilbo.com/blog/performance-obligatory-scenes

1
 Conventions of the Performance Genre

LISTEN TO THIS EPISODE AT: www.savannahgilbo.com/blog/performance-conventions

If you're writing genre fiction, you'll want to know the conventions that readers will expect to see
in a story like yours. Conventions are the character roles, settings, and events that are specific to
a genre. They’re also what help us craft a story that works AND what help us evoke emotional
reactions in our readers.

Conventions of the Performance Genre:

If you're writing a performance novel, you can use this checklist to help you brainstorm, outline,
write, or edit your first draft. Here are the genre conventions at a glance:

An underdog protagonist (who usually has a special gift)

A MacGuffin (or the specific thing the protagonist wants to achieve)
A mentor with a bit of baggage
A team of people who support the protagonist
A trial or training sequence that helps the protagonist prepare for the big event
At least one social problem or moral challenge for the protagonist to face
A worthy opponent for the protagonist to go up against
A monkey wrench that gets thrown in just when it looks like victory is in sight
An internal change within the protagonist
A bittersweet ending

Beyond these genre conventions, there are a handful of obligatory scenes that are unique to the
performance genre, too. Learn more here: www.savannahgilbo.com/blog/performance-obligatory-scenes

Notes, Insights, and Reminders:

FICTION EPISODE 44: PERFORMANCE GENRE CONVENTIONS

WRITING
made easy www.savannahgilbo.com/blog/performance-conventions