Most writers think of a scene as the place where stuff happens. But a real scene is a unit of structural change: a high-stakes character pursues a goal, meets real resistance, and hits an escalation that shifts the story. If it doesn’t turn, it doesn’t count.

Most scenes fail because they’re not designed—they’re just written. This essay breaks down the four structural elements every scene needs to work: a point-of-view character with something to lose, a clear goal, a meaningful obstacle, and an outcome that escalates tension. Includes scene breakdowns from Breaking Bad, The Godfather, and Raiders of the Lost Ark.