Scene Transitions: A Newfound Respect



Several months ago while watching the news on television, I learned a lesson about the importance of transitions.

It had been sixteen days since Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 mysteriously disappeared. Malaysian Prime Minister Najib announced, “It is, therefore, with deep sadness and regret that I must inform you that, according to this new data, Flight MH370 ended in the southern Indian Ocean.”

I watched in dismay as a major network played video of family members shrieking, crying, with some being carried out on stretchers. My heart went out to the people who just heard their loved ones were gone forever. I could only imagine their shock and pain at hearing these words.

This tragic scene immediately segued into an image of singer Shakira dressed in a skimpy belly dancing outfit gyrating to upbeat music in a fantasy forest. (Presumably, the probiotics in yogurt kept her “regular” and, therefore, joyful.) Dumbfounded, I struggled to keep up with the abrupt change of topic and emotion.

What happened? Apparently, they forgot the transition and failed to give the viewer time to adjust. The news anchor could have said, “We’re pausing for a commercial break.” Or, they could have faded to a black screen for a few seconds with somber music playing.

Before this experience I didn’t give transitions much thought. However, I have noticed when they are absent. I once read a mystery where the main character was shot and in critical condition in one scene, but training for a marathon in the next one. I stopped reading to see if a page was missing or if two pages were stuck together.

But what is a scene transition? Fiction Editor, Beth Hill, wrote an insightful blog about Mastering Scene Transitions. Basically, a scene transition:

·         is not a scene, but the narration between scenes.

·         brings characters and readers to a new location, point of view, or time.

·         needs to identify place, time, and viewpoint character especially if there has been a change in any of the three.

·         is used for skipping unimportant events, periods of time, or to change location.

·         may be used to break tension or slow the pace.

·         can show a character’s change of heart or mind.

·         may be easily inserted at the beginning of chapters. However, you might need to change scenes within a chapter.

·         often utilizes the technique of “telling” not “showing” which is discouraged in writing, but useful for transitions.

·         can be as short as, “Meanwhile, back at the ranch,” or as long as a few paragraphs.

Also, Hill strongly advises against changing the point-of-view (POV) in the middle of a scene. She wrote that it’s confusing and could cause the reader to lose the connection with the viewpoint character. I remember reading a romance novel that switched from Jack’s POV to Sue’s in the middle of a love-making scene without the benefit of a transition. That was jarring! In my mind, Jack was caressing Sue’s face and toying with her rough, scruffy beard. It threw me for a loop and right out of the story. 

So, how do you determine the correct length for a scene transition? If the transition is too long it becomes boring. But if it’s too brief, the reader may become confused. I haven’t found a precise answer to that question. Perhaps this an area where the art and magic of writing (aka rewriting) takes place.

Do you consider transitions when you write?