In the television series Star Trek, people routinely teleport through space ("Beam me up, Scotty."). In some episodes they even slip back and forth though time via wormholes and other gaps in the space-time continuum. In the world of fiction-writing, these leaps through time and space are called transitions.

Fiction, by its very nature, involves movement of one sort or another, and that requires transition. Even though fiction is filled with transitions, they can be so subtle that a casual observer may not even be aware that transitions have occurred.

According to Jessica Page Morrell in Between the Lines, transitions are the words, phrases, sentences, or paragraphs used to bridge what has been said or has happened with what is going to be said or will happen. "Transitions aid the seamless unfolding of stories," notes Morrell, "yet it's downright shocking how often writers neglect to use them."

Apparently fiction-writers aren't the only ones who ignore transitions; most how-to books about writing fiction barely mention them. Not so with Jessica Page Morrell, who has clearly put more thought into the subject than most; her Between the Lines devotes an entire chapter to transitions (which by itself makes the book worth studying).

As explained in Writing A to Z (edited by Kirk Polking), "Transitions in fiction lead the reader from character to character, from place to place, or from present to future (or past)." Transitions may also be used to signal changes in other aspects of a story, such as mood, tone, emotion, and pace.

TRANSITIONS AND THE ELEMENTS OF FICTION

Transitions play a role in each of the fundamental elements of fiction (plot, character, setting, theme, and style). Transitions pave the way for readers as the story moves through location and time, i.e., setting. And transitions help the reader shift from one character to another in multiple-viewpoint stories. Transitions provide links between the structural units of plot from the smallest to the largest:

* Between stimulus and response

* Between scenes and sequels

* Between sections and chapters

* Between beginnings, middles, and ends

The influence of transitions on theme may be minimal, but how and when transitions are utilized throughout a story and the skill with which they are presented are important aspects of an author's unique writing style.

TRANSITIONS IN TIME

By far the most common transitions in fiction are those reflecting changes of time. As stated by

• 1
• 2
• 3
• next page >>

---

Add your voice

Know something about Transition as a fiction-writing mode?
We want to hear your view. Write now!