Reaction

Also called

emotional reaction

BeginnerScene & sequel craftReferenceBroader: Scene

The emotional and tactical processing after a scene disaster — often the start of a sequel unit.

How the character responds to what just happened — feeling and first thoughts. Scene craft is where abstract structure becomes testable goals, opposition, and change.

As a structure label, it helps you map drafts — labels serve the story, not the other way around.

This term narrows the broader idea of **sequel** — keep parent and child roles distinct in outlines.

Why it matters

Reaction (sequel) fits the scene–sequel ladder in Scene Builder — goals, beats, and phases stay testable on the page.

Common pitfalls

Using reaction (sequel) as a label without checking whether the page actually performs the job.
Treating child and parent terms as interchangeable in beat sheets.
Letting reaction (sequel) crowd out scene goal, conflict, or change at the end of the unit.

Example only

The reaction (sequel) lands when the courier realizes the seal is broken — the plan must change before dawn.

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Reaction

Also called

emotional reaction

BeginnerScene & sequel craftReferenceBroader: Scene

The emotional and tactical processing after a scene disaster — often the start of a sequel unit.

How the character responds to what just happened — feeling and first thoughts. Scene craft is where abstract structure becomes testable goals, opposition, and change.

As a structure label, it helps you map drafts — labels serve the story, not the other way around.

This term narrows the broader idea of **sequel** — keep parent and child roles distinct in outlines.

Why it matters

Reaction (sequel) fits the scene–sequel ladder in Scene Builder — goals, beats, and phases stay testable on the page.

Common pitfalls

Using reaction (sequel) as a label without checking whether the page actually performs the job.
Treating child and parent terms as interchangeable in beat sheets.
Letting reaction (sequel) crowd out scene goal, conflict, or change at the end of the unit.

Example only

The reaction (sequel) lands when the courier realizes the seal is broken — the plan must change before dawn.