I usually let a core feeling sit at the bottom of the page, like a seed, and then I watch where it pushes the character forward. Once the emotion is settled, the actions, the dialogue, the obstacles start to look natural. Sometimes I sketch a rough plot outline first, just to give myself a frame, and then I pour the emotion into that skeleton. It’s a bit like carving a stone block: you pick out the shape you want and then reveal the details.

That sounds like a good next step – sketching a map of the emotions first lets you see where the plot might drift into padding. When I do that, I usually mark the highs and lows, then I weave the scenes around those spikes, so nothing feels like a filler. It keeps the arc tight and the characters’ choices feeling earned. How do you usually decide where a scene ends?