Every scene has the same structure. Here it is:
1. Transition, preferably with hook.
2. Rising action and dialogue
3. Turning point of the scene (the place where something changes forever)
(if there's no point, the scene goes, no matter how well written)
4. End/resolution of the scene, preferably with another hook. Usually when we come to the end of a scene,
* * *
we indicate it with the double line break, at least two extra lines of "white space" and most people use the three stars, a line, or some other indication, in case the line break falls at the bottom of a page.
Your publisher may bless you for those stars, too, because some typesetting programs eliminate all blank lines, effectively erasing all your double line spaces and turning your careful scenes into one long block of text.
Above all, be consistent. Don't use two blank lines one time, one the next and none the next, don't use the tab for indents sometimes and a row of space bands another. This makes your copy "hard to work with."
My personal take is that I think of a book in scenes just as if it were a movie. We all know that MOMENT when a scene should end in a movie. We know immediately when the director lets a scene drag on just a little too long; sometimes a lot too long. I try to incorporate this into my own writing (for better or for wores) and as I get into the the third section (act 3) of the book, I try to constantly tighten scenes up even more. I just hope it's working.
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