Obligatory Scene

THE PLAYWRITING SEMINARS > STRUCTURE > SHAPE > DIAGRAM > CLIMAX > OBLIGATORY >

'I think all writers finally make their own rules . . ..When I first began writing, I instinctively knew what an obligatory scene was, but no one had ever told me in so many words what it was. I also found out that what is an obligatory scene to one person may not be the same thing to another person. We all have our own idea as to what that means. You know, the rules are not so mysterious.'

-- Horton Foote

The Climax comes as the cap of the Obligatory Scene. It's Obligatory, because the audience wants to see it. They want that final confrontation between the main characters in the Conflict you set in motion with the Inciting Incident. Not only do they want to see this final encounter, but they also want to see it carried through to a Resolution. That's the job of the Obligatory Scene.

Here's the simplest technical way to get the Obligatory Scene started: Bring your two most opposing characters face-to-face. And keep them there until this storm of Conflict breaks. But remember that you've had two interconnected Plots cooking through your play. It's nearly always the Suspense Plot that generates the Climax.

In the heat of that moment, one or more of the central characters has their lives and relationships altered in some meaningful way. And that's because the Climax of the Suspense Plot triggers a lesser Climax in the Emotional Plot within the next page or so.

Typical Obligatory Scene Sequence

Main Characters Come Face-to-Face
Building to . . .

Climax of Suspense Plot
Triggering the. . .

Beginning of Resolution
Followed by . . .

Minor-Climax of Emotional Plot
Leading to completion of . . .

The Resolution

Here's another way of looking at this . . .

Obligatory Scene Diagram

And if you really want to do it the way Old Bill would have, think about . . .

Emotional Patterns

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