fiction - What is a beat?

I keep hearing the word "beat" in Writers.SE, as in "... break your scene into beats" from this question. What is a beat? How is it different from a scene?

Answer

Since "break your scene into beats" was from my comment, let me see if I can add anything to the discussion here:

You originally wrote "I divide my story into scenes, and put those scenes into chapters." So you understand how to break a story into smaller pieces. Let's create an example:

SCENE: James just found out that he's been promoted, and is sharing the news with his best friend Sam. James didn't know Sam was going for the same promotion. Sam is both pleased and jealous, and trying to hide his jealousy.

[My original suggestion here was "forget about word count, and ask yourself 'Did I accomplish the task(s) in my outline in this scene?' " Let's assume that the tasks you want to accomplish are:

1. show James to be young, enthusiastic, ambitious, and somewhat full of himself, but not entirely insensitive


2. show Sam to both love James and see him as a rival



3. start laying groundwork to set up the big Act IV confrontation between James and Sam.]

So to create beats, you kind of micro-outline your story.

• Sam is sitting at his desk working. Sam's thoughts: both he and James interviewed. Sam has been working very hard for this position and thinks he has finally convinced Big Boss that he deserves the responsibility. Sam knew his interview was strong, but he also knows James is a charmer. Wonders if interviewer told James that Sam was interviewing. Wonders how James did. Wonders what it would be like if James had to report to him, and if that would cool their friendship. Leads to tangent reverie about happy childhood memory with him and James.


• James comes in the room extremely excited. "Sam, I got the job!" Eagerly recounts how he was just told. Starts to rattle off future plans for the position. James doesn't notice the smile has frozen on Sam's face. Sam's thoughts racing as James bounces around the room, oblivious.


• James finally pauses for Sam's reaction. Sam forces out something positive. James's smile falls as he realizes Sam isn't nearly as excited as he expected. Asks what's wrong. "Aren't you happy for me?" Jumps to conclusions and starts reassuring Sam that James will certainly insist that Sam join him in the new department as his right-hand guy. "I'd never leave you behind, Sam, you're my best friend." Adds something about refusing the promotion if Sam can't come with him, speaking with a great air of gallantry.


• Sam recognizes James's genuine devotion to him, and is able to smile more normally. Thanks James for his offer and reiterates his pleasure at James's promotion.


• James is up and running again, rattling off ideas, but this time it's more give-and-take, and Sam finds himself caught up in the excitement of the new project. This feels more natural, more right — the two of them working together to solve a problem.

Those are beats. They are bubbles of action, of thought, of mood, which each contribute something to character or plot.