Every page in your story should earn its place. Every scene should push something forward — plot, character, theme, or emotion. Yet, in the Terrible Writing Advice episode on scene writing, the narrator proudly ignores this rule: “A writer should never stop and ask, ‘What does this scene add to the story?’”

It’s the perfect parody of a common mistake. Many stories are packed with scenes that look fine on the surface — good dialogue, strong description, maybe even beautiful prose — but contribute nothing. These are deadweight scenes, and they quietly kill momentum.

If you’ve ever wondered why your story feels slow or disjointed even though “nothing is technically wrong,” the culprit might be a lack of scene purpose.

1. What Is Scene Purpose?

A scene’s purpose is its reason for existing. It’s the “why” behind the “what happens.” Every well-constructed scene changes something — a decision, a relationship, an emotion, or the reader’s understanding.

If nothing changes, the scene is static.

Creative writing tip: Think of each scene as a domino. It should knock over the next one. If removing it doesn’t affect the chain, it doesn’t belong.

Ask these three questions before keeping any scene:

1. What does this scene do for the story?
2. What changes because it happened?
3. What would happen if I removed it?

If the answer to #3 is “nothing important,” that’s a red flag.

2. The Illusion of Importance

In Terrible Writing Advice, the narrator insists that “well-written scenes don’t need to justify their existence.” That’s the trap many writers fall into — assuming beautiful prose or witty dialogue is reason enough to keep a scene.

But a pretty sentence doesn’t make a strong story. Readers don’t care how lyrical your language is if nothing meaningful happens.

This illusion often comes from writer attachment — the same impulse behind the “murder your darlings” dilemma. We confuse effort with importance. Just because a scene took time to write doesn’t mean it deserves to stay.

Writing advice: Readers remember impact, not effort. A short, purposeful scene can carry more weight than five polished pages that go nowhere.

3. The Four Core Purposes of a Scene

To evaluate your story, check if each scene accomplishes at least one (ideally more) of these:

Something happens that moves the story forward — a choice, a discovery, a setback.

The scene shows a new aspect of someone’s personality, values, or motivation.

Readers learn something about the setting, culture, or rules of the story world.

The scene reinforces the story’s emotional or philosophical message.

If your scene doesn’t do any of these, it’s filler. And filler, no matter how well-written, slows pacing and weakens tension.

4. Scenes That Do Too Little

A scene can feel “fine” — pleasant dialogue, nice imagery — and still be useless. Common examples include:

1. Recap scenes: Characters discussing events the reader already knows.
2. Idle scenes: Characters chatting without tension or stakes.
3. Repetitive beats: Emotional or thematic points already made elsewhere.

In the Terrible Writing Advice parody, the writer defends these scenes by saying, “It’s well-written, so it stays.” That’s the mindset that leads to bloated drafts.

Scene writing tip: If a scene doesn’t change the status quo, it’s not a scene — it’s a pause.

5. Scenes That Try to Do Too Much

Ironically, the opposite problem can also occur — scenes overloaded with goals. Plot twist, emotional confession, worldbuilding, and fight scene all crammed together. This leads to reader fatigue.

Purpose isn’t about quantity of elements, but clarity of focus. Know the primary reason the scene exists, then let other elements support it organically.

For instance, a scene meant to develop character can also advance the plot — but the emotional beat should remain central.

Creative writing tip: Each scene should have one dominant purpose and a few subtle secondary ones.

6. Building Purpose Into Your Drafts

You don’t have to get scene purpose perfect on the first try. Most writers discover it during revision.

When editing, use a “scene tracker” — a simple table with columns for:

1. Scene number
2. Setting
3. Main event
4. Purpose (plot, character, theme, world)
5. Change or consequence

If you can’t fill in the “purpose” or “change” column for a scene, it probably needs rewriting or cutting.

Writing advice: The best stories don’t just happen — they’re engineered for impact.

7. Subtle Purpose: Emotional and Thematic Shifts

Not every meaningful scene involves action or revelation. Some exist to show emotional transformation or thematic progression.

For example:

1. A quiet scene after a loss gives readers and characters time to grieve — changing the story’s emotional rhythm.
2. A moment of reflection before a major decision builds tension and stakes.

Subtle doesn’t mean pointless. If a scene deepens understanding or shifts emotion, it still has purpose — just in a quieter way.

8. When to Cut or Combine

Sometimes, two weak scenes can become one strong one.

If you have multiple scenes that achieve the same outcome (e.g., two conversations that deliver similar exposition), combine them. If a scene exists purely because “something needs to happen here,” cut it and strengthen the surrounding moments instead.

Editing tip: When in doubt, remove the scene and reread. If the story still flows, you didn’t need it. If it collapses, you’ve found its purpose.

Final Thought

In Terrible Writing Advice, the joke is that a writer who refuses to revise will defend every unnecessary scene to the death. But the truth behind the satire is clear: strong writing comes from intentional structure.

Every scene should earn its place by changing something — no matter how small. Without purpose, scenes are decoration; with purpose, they’re the engine that drives the story forward.

Before keeping a scene, ask:

“If I cut this, what would break?”

If the answer is “nothing,” the story just told you what it doesn’t need.