by Elizabeth S. Craig 

The best transitions are the ones readers never notice. They carry readers from one scene to the next, and it’s easy to overlook them until one goes wrong.

Linking One Scene to the Next

Some writers end a scene on an object and open the next one with something similar, like a teacup at the close of one scene and a chipped mug at the start of another. Connecting through an idea works too, with rain in one scene and tears in the next. Contrast does some of the work as well. A happy scene followed by a sad one (or the other way around) lets the shift itself act as the bridge.

Showing Time Without a Calendar

“The leaves were turning” tells readers time has passed more gracefully than “two weeks later” does. Physical changes help too, like longer hair or a healed wound. So do small details, such as dusty furniture or a garden that has gone to seed.

A Quick Line So Nobody Gets Lost

Subtle cues are nice, but I usually pair them with a simple time indicator anyway. A reader who can’t tell whether it’s been a day or a month will stop and flip back, and that’s exactly what a transition is supposed to prevent. One clear marker alongside the quieter details keeps everyone oriented.

Letting White Space Do the Work

Sometimes the best transition is a blank line. After Ellen leaves the garden club meeting, a break before she arrives home is all that’s needed. The same goes for the moment after a clue is discovered, with a space before another character’s reaction, or after a tense confrontation, before picking up again later that evening. Readers get a moment to breathe, and they don’t need everything explained.

Transitions That Pull Readers Out

Obvious announcements like “Meanwhile, across town . . .” tend to jolt readers out of a story. So do repetitive patterns, especially “Later that day” showing up scene after scene. Explaining movement nobody needs can have the same effect, such as a character getting into the car, driving across town, and parking before the scene readers actually want to read.

What transitions in your recent reading have worked well, or pulled you out of the story?