#46: The 6 Scenes Every Worldview Novel Needs

In today's episode, we're going to talk about the key scenes that every worldview story needs to have in order to work and to satisfy fans of the genre. Here's a preview of what's included:

[01:20] Worldview stories focus on a period of the main character’s life where he or she is transitioning from one significant state to another. These stories show how the external events of the plot affect a character in such a way that he or she must grow, change, and awaken to a new understanding of themselves, or the world around him or her.
[02:30] Readers choose to read worldview novels because they are super relatable. Life doesn’t always give us what we want, right? We’ve all experienced some kind of “life problem” that has forced us to stop in our tracks and re-examine who we are and what we value in order to move forward.
[03:45] Obligatory scenes are the key events, decisions, and discoveries that move a protagonist along their journey from point A to point B. They help us writers craft a story that works AND a story that will deliver a specific emotional experience.
[05:40] Key scene #1: A scene in which the protagonist's worldview is challenged.
[06:45] Key scene #2: A scene in which the protagonist commits to the wrong thing.
[07:50] Key scene #3: A scene in which the protagonist sees the truth (either part or all of it) but chooses to ignore it.
[09:00] Key scene #4: A scene in which the protagonist realizes they can't run from the truth anymore. They need to change if they want to move forward.
[10:00] Key scene #5: A scene in which the protagonist embraces the truth.
[11:00] Key scene #6: A scene in which the protagonist's loss of innocence is rewarded.
[12:25] Key points and episode recap.

Subscribe & Review in Apple Podcasts

Are you subscribed to my podcast? If you’re not, I want to encourage you to do that today. I don’t want you to miss an episode! Especially because I’m adding a bunch of bonus episodes to the mix and if you’re not subscribed there’s a good chance you’ll miss out on those. So, click here to subscribe to the show in Apple Podcasts!

If you're already a subscriber, and if you enjoy the show, I would be really grateful if you left a review over on Apple Podcasts, too. Those reviews help other writers find my podcast and they’re also super fun for me to go in and read. Just click here to review, select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review” and let me know what your favorite part of the show is. Thanks in advance!

Links mentioned in this episode:

• Episode Freebie: Worldview Genre Key Scenes PDF Cheat Sheet
• Worldview Obligatory Scenes: The 6 Scenes Every Worldview Novel Needs (article)
• Worldview Conventions: The 10 Things Every Worldview Novel Needs (article)

Support the show

👉 Looking for a transcript? If you’re listening on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, scroll down below the episode player until you see the transcript.