How to Write EFFECTIVE Scene Transitions in Your Novel 🌙☀

This video is in response to a subscriber question on how to write effective novel transitions.

Time Stamps:

12:12: What types of transitions exist?
12:42: Nuts & Bolts: How can we write transitions to be as seamless as possible?
19:30: The "Big Conclusions"
21:03: Practical tips on "keeping time" in your manuscript

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[burhanuddin]

I'd like to thank you for being a light in the darkness for me. I've been willing to write a metaphysical/supernatural fantasy novel for almost 5 years. But I couldn't ever get started because whenever I'd sit down to write, I wouldn't know what to write, where to begin etc. I was just a guy with a bizarre imagination but no way to express myself.
By Allah's grace, I found your videos 2 weeks ago. I've watched 10-15 of your videos and that has enabled me to finish the first draft of the first two chapters. At least I've written something, all because of you Michael!
Please accept my gratitude from India 🇮🇳

[MissHolliday]

Orientation to time is one of those things that is so common sense that it's easy to overlook. As a reader, I'm not consciously aware that I am being given temporal cues, but they are still important.

[jazzauthor]

Nice, I like the idea of anchor words. Good tip!

[wtk]

The operative word in this video is "effective", as in an effective way to do transitions. My transitions seem to turn out alright, but it's trial and error for me getting there. I waste a lot of time in rewriting scenes until something works. I'm glad to learn a more systematic approach to writing these scenes.

[PhantomVortex]

Dang i found this channel just in time. Everytime i see an update, im like i need to work on that. LOL

[shruthimaniyodath]

I've had this query for a while now and am glad to see it deconstructed and resolved through your video. Super helpful. Thanks!

[bsharp]

When you talk about how, when we go through our day, we always know what time it is (~13:40), you triggered something I've been thinking about.

In life we have an internal clock that helps us estimate time. Even when we don't have access to a timepiece of any kind, we have an idea of how much time has passed. And this, as you point out, is very important to us. We need orientation to ground us in reality so we can navigate (and survive, ultimately - so it's EXTREMELY important, actually [we just never think about it]).

This internal clock is instinctual, probably the result of our having evolved over generations in a reality who's fabric is continuous. (Both time and space [spacetime] are continuous here, I should add.)

So, this instinct grounds us here. And being grounded helps us feel present in the universe. The ability to intuit the flow of our reality is a major tool (one of many) we use to reap one of life's most coveted rewards: presence.

Makes sense?

Fiction, on the other hand, is not a continuous reality. It has gaps in its flow of spacetime. There are great swaths of time (and space) missing in fiction - left on the cutting room floor, as it were. So, as an audience, we have no tools, no intuition, to navigate fiction's flow because, unlike reality, it is discontinuous. Our instincts, obtained through evolution in a continuous flow of spacetime, do not apply. And this prevents is from feeling present there.

It is up to the writer, then (who's basically the god of fiction's universe), to give us a way to navigate so that we can feel present there - in a survival way.

One of fiction's most coveted features is immersion. We need to feel the reward of presence in fiction just as we do here in daily reality (or we don't feel immersed). It is one of the ways audiences find a work of fiction believable (another one of fiction's most coveted features).

[patriciadanna]

The idea of adding a # in front of a word is a great idea. Thanks. Videos always helpful.

[AuthorDarrellCScottJr]

Great video! I appreciate the examples. Thank you! 🙏🏾

[notdonaldtrump]

You sir, are a hidden gem. Have a sub!

[ChristinaFonthes]

Thanks for another great video, Micheal! I do a lot this already, and it's great to know the 'formula' behind it! love the term pracademic!

[JF-nmgy]

This was SO helpful! So much advice out there repeating what we already know - tighten grammar, vary sentence structure, don't head hop, stay in the same tense for the love of god, etc. - but this practical, to-the-point instruction is so very valuable. Thank you!

[miky]

Chidi's interested in fiction now? Damn we ARE in the good place

[artnunymiss]

This is such a useful channel, thanks.

[TH-hqsj]

This video is full of wisdom! Awesome structuring, effective advice and easy ti understand =) thank you!

[lorrismalls]

Thanks, so much for this information. Even editors can miss little things like this. It's not easy writing a book. I noticed that it's the small things you insert in your chapters that can make all the difference.

[brodiaimson]

I love these videos! I recently started to write stories that weren't simply for myself but for everyone else instead around one year or so ago. It's been quite a challenge at times though my love for writing and reading always overcomes this, and your videos have made it clear to me that I can keep going, all it takes is patience and a little practice. I found your channel today and I'd just like to say a huge thank you for always caring about your viewers and being so kind and helpful. :)

[robertfox]

Thank you for all the videos. i have never wrote a book before but my kids always after me to put my stories in writing, they loved them so much. After watching videos i think it just may be possible.

[JoshKnoxChinnery]

I would definitely be interested in hearing your research and thoughts about transitions between in-chapter scenes. Great video.

[opollitico]

THANK YOU SO, SO MUCH! YOU DID THE TRANSITIONS VIDEO XXX THANKS !! SUCH A GOOD VIDEO!