Transitions

doorways; moving on; simple and not so...

Photo by Quino Al on Unsplash

Moving from one place to another in writing can be challenging or simple, self-conscious, or thoughtless.

What is it that you want to accomplish? Something seemingly seamless?

I’ve pulled some Canadian titles off my shelves. Let’s start with the late Alice Munro, Canada’s most-read short story writer.

Her short stories, like many, are broken into sections. Reasons for sections can be a change of character-focus or -viewpoint. Time. Flashback. Digression. Moving on.

Really, most transitions fall under this “moving on.” Transitions set a pace, and can build tension—as much with what is missing as with what is shared.