I’ll never forget walking into my first college creative writing class. The room buzzed with quiet anticipation. Fresh notebooks and hopeful eyes filled the space. The electric energy of people ready to finally write something real was palpable.

Then, silence. Our professor entered… a towering, stern man with a curved mustache like he’d stepped out of a Hemingway novel. And just as the silence thickened…

“CONFLICT! CRISIS! RESOLUTION!! That’s STORY!”

I jumped in my seat. So did half the class.

And then he said it again… Every. Single. Class.

At the time, it felt like a mantra, loud, a little scary, even funny. But years later, it remains one of the most important things I’ve ever learned about storytelling.

The Nested Doll of Storytelling

Think of story structure like a set of Russian dolls. You’ve seen them, the painted wooden kind, each one nestled inside the next:

• The Biggest doll is the full story: Conflict, Crisis, Resolution.
• Inside that is each act: beginning, middle, end.
• Inside each act are sequences—clusters of scenes that carry a mini-arc.
• Inside those sequences? Scenes… The smallest doll. But they’re not small in power.

Every scene is its own story. It should have:

• A beginning (conflict)
• A middle (crisis)
• An end (resolution).

And no, resolution doesn’t mean happily-ever-after. It just means the scene ends in a different place than it began.

Scene Structure: Conflict, Crisis, Resolution

Let’s break down the professor’s chant:

Conflict

This is where the scene starts.  Something is off, wanted, or in motion.

Your character should want something, even if it’s small: to get an answer, avoid embarrassment, find a clue, escape a dinner party. This is their scene goal.

The conflict arises from what (or who) stands in the way.

Crisis

The tension rises. A choice must be made. Someone gets called out, something is discovered, a line is crossed. This is the scene’s turning point, its mini-climax.

It should feel like, “Oh, no. What now?”

Resolution

The scene lands. Something changes. A new problem is introduced. A win. A loss. A compromise. Even if it’s quiet, there should be a shift.

And remember, resolution doesn’t mean peace. It means movement. It sets the stage for the next scene to come.

Emotional Pacing: Opposites Create Momentum

Here’s another crucial lesson: don’t write scenes in a flat emotional line. If a scene ends on a high note, start the next on a low one. If a moment ends in tragedy, maybe the next opens with awkward humor or unexpected relief.

This kind of “emotional whiplash” keeps your reader engaged, alert, and wanting more.

Always remember: Because that happened in the last scene… now this happens.

This is cause and effect in storytelling. It’s how you create flow, connection, and momentum. It’s how scenes stop feeling episodic and start feeling real.

Scene Goal: Your Character Always Wants Something

Every scene must have a goal for the protagonist. It doesn’t have to be world-shattering.

The key is this: if your character wants nothing, your reader feels nothing. Even if they fail, even if they get the opposite, wanting is what pulls us forward.

So What Should Every Scene Have?

ELEMENT	PURPOSE
Conflict	The character wants something. Something or someone opposes them
Crisis	A turning point. A decision or discovery that changes the stakes – the scene climax
Resolution	The scene ends with a shift, progress, or setback. Not always positive
Scene Goal	What does the protagonist want in this scene?
Emotional Reversal	How does this scene contrast with the one before it? Keep the emotional rhythm alive

Final Thought: Small Scenes, Big Power

Whether you’re writing an epic trilogy or a short story, your scenes are not just filler. They are the heartbeat of your story.

So next time you sit down to write, hear that voice in the back of your mind…loud, intimidating, unforgettable:

“CONFLICT! CRISIS! RESOLUTION!”

And write each scene like it is a story, because it is.

Next up on Story Structure Studio: Device & Design: Turning scenes into sequences.

Happy Writing!