Scene planning

Scene Card template

Use a scene card template to capture each scene goal, conflict, and outcome, then connect cards to see how scenes drive each other.

Best for: Writers who plan scene by scene and want each scene to change the situation.

Start mapping freeRead the guide
Story beats broken down into individual scene cards on a canvas
Template beats

What to map first

Put these beats down before you write the scene list. The order matters less than the connections: what causes what, what mirrors what, and where the story changes direction.

  1. 1Scene Goal
  2. 2Point of View
  3. 3Conflict
  4. 4Turn
  5. 5Outcome
  6. 6Value Change
  7. 7Hook to Next Scene
Step 1

Give each scene a card with its goal, the conflict, and how the situation changes.

Step 2

Draw an edge from each scene to the one its outcome sets up.

Step 3

Cut or rewrite any scene whose card shows no change in value or information.

Best fit

  • Scene-by-scene planners
  • Screenwriters building a sequence
  • Revising a saggy middle
  • Discovery writers organizing a draft after the fact

Watch for

  • A scene where nothing changes is usually two scenes or none.
  • Cards multiply fast, so keep the focus on goal, conflict, and change.
Related templates
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Screenplay Outline

A film-outline template for logline, act turns, sequences, beats, and scene-level pressure.

Novel planning

Novel Outline

A book-planning template for turning a premise into acts, chapters, character turns, and subplot checkpoints.

Core structure

Three-Act Structure

A flexible setup, confrontation, and resolution map for writers who want structure without a rigid formula.