Thinking about scenes while on the wing

By Kathryn Lilley

When this topic posts I'll be flying somewhere over the Pacific, winging my way to Hong Kong, and later China. This flight has full-reclining seats, so I might even be snoozing, especially if I sample enough of the bubbly that gets passed around by the Cathay Pacific flight attendants. (Who, by the way, are the most gorgeous, smiling people I've ever seen on an airplane.)

I'll be offline, so I'd like to post a Reader-Friday style question to you all. Describe the scene that you're working on right now, and tell us what challenges it presents to you as a writer. How are you working to make it the best it can be?

Here's mine: I'm working on a scene in my upcoming book, PLUS-SIZE HOMICIDE, in which Kate, the MC, receives an unexpected (and most unwelcome) visit from her overprotective father. While showing the tension between Kate and her father, I need to set the stage for an issue from Kate's past that she'll have to confront in this book: the murder of her mother.  I'm concentrating on showing not telling, resisting the impulse to add too much back story.

What about you? What scene are you working on, and what is your main challenge in writing it?