Warning: I hit 1000 words on a single scene and everyone told me to cut it

I know the rule is to keep scenes tight, but this one needed every word to build the tension in the old lighthouse. Has anyone else kept a long scene that just felt right?

3 comments

3 Comments

beth_stone2mo ago

Ever read that one chapter in The Shining where Jack is just losing his mind in the Colorado Lounge? That thing goes on for ages but you can't look away. Sometimes the slow creep needs all that space to really work.

riley_garcia2mo ago

Honestly, I get bored when a scene drags on.

-1

thea_knight27d ago

Short chapters work better for me when a story's dragging. I just pick up a book with quick scenes instead.