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The Necessary Transition
Transitions are devices used to link sentences, paragraphs, ideas and time passages within a story. They indicate some kind of change to the reader. Transitions show that there has been or will be a disruption in the storyline or that a period of time has passed or will pass between events. Transitions are the most common way an author can convey a sense of change or highlight a passage of time to the reader. Stories, most of them anyway, must pass through events in such a way that the author must account for the events without losing the flow of the storyline. These transitions may have only a minimal impact on the story but if an author fails to account for this time passage, the reader may become confused. Therefore writers must employ a transitional device to alert the reader of a change. Successful authors, one may notice, have mastered the use of transitions to show the passage of time and link the major scenes of their stories. Editors will know that they are reading the work of a novice when the manuscript is cluttered with details of mundane tasks of a character's daily life; brushing their teeth, getting into the car, driving to work. Authors must plan and organize their stories around an appropriate time frame and build in transitions in the structure of the story. Transitional expressions or phrases help the reader move from detail to sentence to paragraph because they show a relationship between thoughts or ideas the author is trying to point out to the reader. These devices allow the reader to move from one idea to the next with direction and continuity. Some authors use the technique of repeating key words and ideas as well as expressions to note a sense of change. Some expressions and the ideas they convey include:
These expressions allow for transitions between sentences and paragraphs and allow for a smooth flow from one idea to another. Authors may guide the reader directly through the passage of time in the story, and when necessary, a paragraph can help show the passage of time and bring the reader into the present. The example below begins a new chapter of an Ernest Hemingway novel: That night after the boys had gone to bed Thomas Hudson and Roger Davis sat up in the big room talking. It had been too rough to do much goggle-fishing and after supper the boys had gone off with Joseph to go snapper fishing. They had come back tired and happy and said good night and gone to bed. The men had heard them talking for a while and then they were asleep. [Islands in the Stream, by Ernest Hemingway] This example shows how a paragraph can bring a reader from action that has already taken place to the new setting without disrupting the flow of the story. If an author is writing a lengthy passage, he or she may want to include a transitional paragraph to transition from a major division of a work to another division or component. These paragraphs should summarize the ideas and show a relationship between the preceding and following parts of the writing. Another technique is to write transitions into the dialogue that relate some kind of change. The example below uses dialogue to relate a change in emotions over a period of time between Thomas Hudson and his estranged wife. "Isn't it terrible? The first time I ever meet you since I went away and you're not in love with anyone and I'm in love with someone." [Islands in the Stream, Hemingway] Either technique is effective but using dialogue to show a transition is a much trickier proposition than writing a transition into the narrative. Inserting a transition into the narrative is the simplest and most effective technique for a writer to use. As a writer develops his or her skills, they may begin to write transitions into the dialogue. Flashbacks are another effective way to signal a transition but they require an article of their own. Keep in mind that a reader is willing to be led through a story and an author's job is to keep it clear and concise for the reader. By David Greco, a senior editor for American Book Publishing. © 2005 American Book Publishing™ *All other trademarks used by permission. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy and Trademark Use Policy.
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