Connecting the Dots

One of my pet peeves is a HORRIBLE transition! If I can’t understand how you went from one part of the story to the next, it bugs me while watching or reading the rest of it. If you are having a hard time with transitions, consider the following:

FADE IN/FADE OUT. When you fade from black, you slowly introduce details until we see the full picture such as the beginning of a movie. When you fade to black, you slowly remove elements until we see nothing such as watching the degenerative process of a character until they take their last breath.

COVER/UNCOVER. To cover would be to layer a new scene onto another one such as individual friends preparing for a ladies night. To uncover, you reveal another layer about the previous scene such as showing an excellent student in the classroom before revealing the challenges they face at home.

Photo by Michelangelo Buonarroti from Pexels

PUSH/PULL. Push is when one scene speeds up the storyline such as a character winning a lump sum of money and immediately going on a spending spree. The pull is when a scene slows down the plot such as each stop on a long and dreary drive home after a major rejection or disappointment.

Writing out the details between one event to the next helps to tell your story more seamlessly and to build continuity. Even writing about a character’s struggle can add depth and relevance to your story. The struggle is a part of the most meaningful stories while the transitions connect the dots.  

Happy writing!