Definition of a Scene in Memoir

Wendy Dale defines a scene as a piece of writing that occurs at a specific point in time—marked by a clear time anchor such as “one day,” “that Thursday at 3 p.m.,” or “four hours later.” It’s the part of the story where the reader actually lives through the moment with the narrator. In her words: “a reader expects to be there with you during a scene.

She contrasts this with transitions, which follow scenes. In transitions, the use of time shifts away from the tangible—phrases like “over the next few days” or the absence of time altogether indicate transition writing rather than a vivid, lived scene.

Her book, The Memoir Engineering System, delves into the mechanics of writing a memoir

What fiction writers say about “scene”:

John Gardner — The Art of Fiction (1983)

“Fiction should be a continuous dream.”
To achieve that dream, he stresses the need for “scene” writing rather than summary. A scene, in Gardner’s terms, is where readers experience events in “real time” — with dialogue, sensory detail, and action. He argues that scenes immerse the reader, while summary distances them.

Robert McKee — Story (1997)

Though McKee comes from screenwriting, his definition of scene is hugely influential across fiction:

“A scene is a story event that creates meaningful change in the life situation of a character, expressed in terms of value, and achieved through conflict.”

 This is a precise, functional definition: each scene has a beginning, middle, and end, and something must shift — love to hate, ignorance to knowledge, safety to danger, etc.

Gustav Freytag — Freytag’s Technique of the Drama (1863)

Freytag, writing about drama, describes scene as the basic unit of dramatic structure, each moving the play forward toward climax. His “pyramid” structure (exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, resolution) is still taught in fiction classes today.

In summary:

A scene is the basic unit of storytelling in both memoir and fiction: a block of narrative that unfolds in real time, with characters present in a specific place, engaged in action or dialogue, where something meaningful changes because of conflict.

• Real time: The reader experiences the moment as it happens, not summarized after the fact.
• Specific setting: Scenes are grounded in place and time, giving the story physical texture.
• Action and interaction: Characters act, speak, and react — events are dramatized, not just told.
• Conflict and change: A scene isn’t complete unless it shifts the story — altering circumstances, relationships, or emotional stakes.

Other things to consider when transitioning from memoir to fiction:

• Setting
• Characters—real  vs. imagined
• Dialogue (remembered vs. created

In subsequent blogs, I’ll explain each of those building blocks that go into telling a story whether it’s a memoir or a fiction work.

From Memoir to Mystery