This week: Don’t Toss the Scraps! Edited by: Jayne  
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| Hi, I'm Jayne. I'll be your editor today. |
I am a scene writer. Stories rarely come to me at the time I need them. No, I am that person who is walking around the grocery store and my brain suddenly goes, “Hey, what if two characters said this to each other?” and then provides me with character snapshots, witty banter, and some semblance of setting. It looks like a story!
I ask my brain, “Yes, but where does this fascinating scene go?”
My brain replies: “Who cares! Say thank you because I'm awesome!”
And then it returns to forgetting the one thing I went into the store to buy (until I get out to the car).
Every writer has little scraps of ideas. You know what I’m talking about: those half-finished scenes, abandoned dialogue, or moments of brilliance between two characters that didn’t quite fit anywhere, because you don’t yet have a story.
Writers often say one of three things with these morsels:
“This is trash,” and delete it or forget about it.
“I have to remember to use this,” and then not write it down.
“I’ll use this eventually,” and then it disappears into the abyss of old files or forgotten notebooks.
Stop it.
There is a better way.
Start a scene bucket.
So What Belongs in a Scene Bucket?
A scene bucket is a collection of scenes, snippets, and moments that aren’t tied to any specific project yet. They’re not outlines. They’re not drafts. They’re like kindling. It doesn’t do much until you need to spark up a fire. You can use:
 A conversation you overheard (or imagined)
A weird dream fragment with an interesting atmosphere
A sharp bit of dialogue that doesn’t fit your current story
A full scene from a novel that didn’t make the cut, but you still love it
A scene that came to you out of the blue, but you have no idea why or what to do with it
You’ll notice these generally aren’t single lines. These are larger bits that look like they’re part of a story (which is why it’s a scene bucket). That said, it’s perfectly fine to keep single lines if they’re sharp enough to point to a larger story.
The point is, don’t throw away good writing just because it doesn’t have a home right now.
Centralize Your Notes
Keep your bucket somewhere accessible (Google Doc, notes app, Scrivener folder, a single location on your hard drive).
Label scenes by tone, genre, or theme if it makes sense to do so, or if you’re prolific. Use searchable keywords/tags to pull things up quickly.
Don’t create multiple folders and scatter them around.
Do back up your file in at least one other place.
How the Scene Bucket Helps You Write
If you’re like me, you suffer from blank page anxiety. Instead of staring at the dreaded white space, open your scene bucket. Even if you don’t use something from the bucket, it’s a nice boost to remember that you can generate good ideas.
Far less waste, far fewer feelings of despair. Some days, your big project won’t play. But writing a random scene just to stay in motion feels pointless, because it’s not going anywhere. Well, now it’s going in your bucket. It’s not a waste, it’s a good idea worth revisiting.
It’s self-produced prompts. No contest to enter? No problem. Open your bucket, and now you have your own prompts! Is the prompt for the contest you’re entering not sparking joy? Maybe there’s something in your bucket that fits the bill. No, it’s not cheating. You’re not pulling out a story. The things in the bucket are ideas waiting to be fleshed out. You’re allowed to percolate ideas.
Your ideas might coalesce. Sometimes multiple fragments turn out to be a larger narrative. Along the same lines, you’ll also likely notice your writing voice starts to push through your scenes. This can help you identify how you like to write, versus what you’re actually writing.
You open yourself up to new adventures. Maybe you’re not typically a sci-fi writer, but you had an interesting moment of dialogue pop into your head. Over time, you may find a lot of sci-fi ideas pop into your head. Maybe the problem isn’t a genre issue, but more of a confidence issue. Maybe you understand more about the genre than you think.
As always, happy writing! |
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Short Stories: September 17, 2025 Issue [#13353]
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