Tips on Writing a Publishable Novel - Effectively Transitioning Narrative
by Robert L. Bacon
As a writer advances through the process of crafting what he or she hopes will be a publishable novel, one of the most daunting challenges is to meet the requirements for effectively transitioning material. For many writers transitional elements can be difficult to comprehend, let alone achieve.
Transitioning is Necessary from both a Micro and Macro Perspective
To understand transitioning, it is necessary to have a solid grasp of what this involves at "the single word within the sentence level" first. One word, such a strategically placed "before" or "now," can impact the meaning of a huge volume of text and provide the perfect link to the next plot point.
Other times, a short clause such as "over the next few months" or "never again" can provide the ideal bridge. The right clause lets the reader seamlessly take in one story element and comfortably move onto the next without a break in the action. Conversely, inadequate transitioning often prevents a manuscript from being read, let alone considered for publication.
An Entire Paragraph is Commonly Used to Transition Material
A paragraph is the most logical choice in many if not most instances, since this provides the easiest medium for enabling a large amount of text to achieve the desired result. Of course it often requires several paragraphs to achieve the proper effect.
A Complete Scene that is Dedicated to the Transition is the Next Choice
We are now to the macro level, although some might argue that this was achieved when the paragraph was broached as an option--and certainly when multiple paragraphs were suggested. Whatever one's feelings, an entire scene dedicated to a transition point is second only to an entire chapter being utilized as a transition element.
We Must Not Forget about Dialogue as a Transitioning Medium
When writing about the art of effective transitioning, it's easy to think that it primarily involves exposition and not dialogue, and while non-dialogue narrative is certainly the lead component, the use of dialogue to transition material cannot be underestimated. This is why it's so critical to read dialogue aloud to help determine how well it enables transition, not only for the narrative that preceded it--but for what is to follow. (There is also the subtle transitioning between dialogue exchanges that requires equally meticulous scrutiny, but this is a subject for another paper.)
As an editor, I find as many problems with dialogue transitioning as I do with straight exposition being used as the facilitator to move from one plot point to another.
Copyright 2010 by Robert L. Bacon. All rights reserved.
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