Transition

[medicatedpeacefulmoments]

Hmm... I've been having some difficulty going from one scene to the next or from one character's prospective to another's smoothly. Does anybody have any suggestions or tips I can use while writing?

[Andrea]

Paragraphs. Don't mix two characters thoughts in one paragraph.

<i>She was having fun at the park. The beautiful day made her
remember those moments she had spent with her family, those
blissful days when she was just a kid, and her greatest dilemma had
been to chose something to wear. Now, things had changed, and she
couldn't help but smile up at her husband's radiant face. It was all
because of him.

He smiled when he felt his wife's eyes on him, her brunette tresses dancing
in the wind around him. A peacefulness surrounded them...</i>

Sorry, got a little bored with the example, but you get what I'm trying to say.

About the scene transition, it depends on your writing style. If you're writing a scene and then you change perspective, but STILL in the same situation, you continue on another paragraph. If you're writing a scene, and you change to another scene, then you use something to mark the change. (Three blank lines, or simply a line of symbols. (i.e. *, ~, --, __, etc.)

This makes a lot more sense in my head. Sorry if I confused you.

[medicatedpeacefulmoments]

Paragraphs. Don't mix two characters thoughts in one paragraph.

<i>She was having fun at the park. The beautiful day made her
remember those moments she had spent with her family, those
blissful days when she was just a kid, and her greatest dilemma had
been to chose something to wear. Now, things had changed, and she
couldn't help but smile up at her husband's radiant face. It was all
because of him.

He smiled when he felt his wife's eyes on him, her brunette tresses dancing
in the wind around him. A peacefulness surrounded them...</i>

Sorry, got a little bored with the example, but you get what I'm trying to say.

About the scene transition, it depends on your writing style. If you're writing a scene and then you change perspective, but STILL in the same situation, you continue on another paragraph. If you're writing a scene, and you change to another scene, then you use something to mark the change. (Three blank lines, or simply a line of symbols. (i.e. *, ~, --, __, etc.)

This makes a lot more sense in my head. Sorry if I confused you.

I think I get it. When changing character perspective you continue in another paragraph- I've been doing that but people still tell me that it takes them a while to realize when I change characters. ::Shruggs:: I guess I'll figure out a way to clarify that soon enough. I've seen the mark thingy done for changing scenes but always kind of thought it looked somewhat sloppy. I suppose it's unavoidable, so I'll just go with that. Thank you for your help.

[Tomorrow]

Generally, one shouldn't change character POV's in the middle of a story... at least not in the same chapter. If you do want to change POV's, regardless, I would bold, italicize, or apply some sort of designation to the text to indicate it. In one of my stories, I switched between a limited and omniscient narrator, but I only switched BETWEEN chapters (never in the midst). To make it even more clear, I indicated the change with italics.

The basic symbol for changing scenes (abruptly) is:

* * * *

However, as Andrea indicated, a line of any type of symbol will do. Paragraphs, on the other hand, separate different general thoughts. In other words, one should create a new paragraph for a new string of ideas, connected by a single, unifying notion. Therefore, throughout a scene, paragraph designation is needed.

Although, if your scene is changing in the middle of a chapter or story (as in switching drastically from one situation in a certain place to the next in a different place), you should use the aforementioned symbol(s).

These aren't hard-fast rules, and I'm sure others will disagree. But this is how I like to handle scene/idea changes.

I hope this helps.

~Tomorrow

[Andrea]

*points to above* THAT's what I meant! Oh, Tomorrow, you know what mean... *hangs head* I really ought to learn how to explain myself.

But, yes. When it's a story written from a first person point of view, it's rather preferrable if you split the POV's into chapters. But when you're writing in third person, splitting it into paragraphs is okay.

[brandi]

While I agree that some sort of sign to the reader that the sceen is changing is quite crucial, it still doesn't by any means make any transition smoother. While I do quite agree with Andrea Sinisterra that it all does depend on your writing style, I have a few tips.

First of all, there are always varrious things that can trigger a smooth change. There could be an object that eases the reader into another sceen, or that two characters share a connection to in any possible way. Be creative.

Then there's always the option of a thought being shared between two characters. They could be thinking if each other, they could be thinking of the same thing, opposite things, or even the same person, it doesn't really matter.

And there's always things such as sounds or events or settings that could trigger a smooth change.

As long as you ease the reader from one to the other, you should be fine with anything. There's just one thing you must not do. Don't give the reader an abrubt change that may confuse them. There's nothing that ruins the emotional ride of a story worse that not knowing what's going on or being dropped abrubtly from the rising action down to the ground. Suspensse is good, but the reader needs to be eased not dropped, always!

I hope these hints helped.

[Beer-monster]

For me there's really no way to know when to end a scene. There is just a felling...you will know when the time is right.

However I do think that when ending a scene or chapter etc...you should try to show that the scene has ended but not wrap it up too much. Unless its the end of the fic you should always leave the reader with a thought or hint to tease them...give them something to think about from that character. Try to show that although that little part of the story is over the characters and plot are still there, still ticking away.