Scene break designs for books
A scene break tells readers that time, place, or point of view has changed without starting a new chapter. Below are 50 original scene break ornaments, free to use in any book and drawn to sit at the height of a line of text. Choose one to see it on a page, and then copy or download it.
By the Proselis team · Updated
Classic scene breaks
These leaves, flowers, and rules come from traditional printing and suit literary and historical books.
Modern scene breaks
These marks borrow from punctuation, myth, and the night sky, and they suit contemporary fiction and fantasy.
Clean scene breaks
These are bold, simple shapes, plus a few for tech and thriller books. They stay clear at any size.
What is a scene break?
A scene break is a short pause inside a chapter, marked by a blank space, a symbol, or a small ornament. It tells readers that the story has jumped in time, moved somewhere else, or switched to another character.
When should you use a scene break instead of a new chapter?
Use a scene break when the story shifts but the chapter’s question is still open. Start a new chapter when a larger movement of the story ends. Most novels use both, and readers move through them without noticing the difference.
Questions
What is a dinkus?
A dinkus is a scene break made of three spaced asterisks, like this: * * *. It is the most common scene break in print and the safest choice in ebooks.
What size should a scene break ornament be?
Make it about as tall as a line of text. A larger ornament competes with the story, and a smaller one is easy to miss on a phone.
Can I use these scene breaks in a book I sell?
Yes. The symbols are standard characters anyone can use, and the 50 ornaments are free to use in any book, in print or as an ebook, with no credit required.
Should every scene break in a book look the same?
Yes. Pick one design, and use it throughout so readers learn what it means on the first page.
Use these scene breaks in your book
All 50 of these designs are built into the Proselis themes. Choose one in the theme settings, and it appears at every scene break in your book. Writing is free. Publishing a book as an EPUB and a print-ready PDF is a one-time $20.