Writing Need Help With A Transition Scene

[RaySizm]

So, let's say I was writing a scene where a character was having an intense exchange with someone. After the discussion is over, the character leaves to go someplace, but I still want to focus on the same character. What would be a good way to transition to the next scene, where the character is in the place that they want to go to, without showing the reader the boring half-kilometer walk they took?

 

[ArcanePunkster]

I always find the use of transport to be a nice segway for such transitions because it feels more natural. So like describe the next scene of that character getting out of a sport cars and describe how his current location correlates with the story.

If your story hasn't got such luxuries another option is have that character involved in a little world-building on their journey like finding something at a market within the capital that they haven't seen before. It'll give you an excuse to flesh out your world a little more even if it's not related to the overarching plot in general.

Other than those two I can't really think of anything else, sorry.

 

[AdLeto]

Make the character have an introspection of some kind, like the discussion or worry, time seens to go faster when you are in deep toughts

 

[Queenfisher]

Depends. I use two kinds of transition:

One is fast for moving within the same city, for example.

For it, I usually write one paragraph of Inner Monologue that mulls over what has just happened while mentioning that the character is going elsewhere with one-two mentions of the transport/path he takes. His mood from the previous scene colors his reactions to what he notes around him. If he's angry, pissed IM focused on how everything sucks, if he's scared -- suspicious descriptions of his surroundings, if happy -- a more jokey tone.

I usually put a sort of a punctuating sentence at the end to highlight that the new scene will have different objectives from the previous one. Some punchy phrase about what the character wants/needs to do now.

If I need to describe a longer journey in transition, I spend a bit more than one paragraph to describe it. Usually 3-4, to imply both passage of time and space. See the spoiler for specifics ^^.

Spoiler: An example of how

1. Inner Monologue about having to go and why
2. One or two more punchy IM sentences to show the personal opinion of the character about it and how the previous intense scene relates to it
3. Switch into his personal opinion about what he sees around him as he actually goes (in two-three sentences of summarized description -- flickers and flashes of things he notes is enough)
4. IF it's a truly long journey -- then show his smartass commentary about funny customs he noticed, or the weather being sucky, or some encounter happening while he traveled -- be as opinionated and atmospheric here as possible (also in about 1-3 sentences)
5. Remaining in his IM, switch from his thoughts about travel into thinking about being excited/scared/frustrated/tired about arriving to his destination and what he expects to do once there
6. Arriving with new objectives established

 

[UYScuti]

I had just left the bar, leaving behind a disaster in the bathroom for the tavern maid to deal with, and started down the winding path of scary monsters or something. Other than a carriage or some other vehicle passing, the short trip was uneventful with no virgin beauties in danger from bandits or some other bad guys that only I could defeat. I took silver, gold, or some other form of currency from my pockets and gave it to the gate guard who gave me a hard time for no other reason than I was the MC. No women were wowed by my bravery and no background people talked about how amazing I was. I walked to the nearest food stand and purchased some variation of meat on a stick. Some little orphan kid or something with furry ears came next to the stall, so I gave him some food because I'm a morally superior person than the rest of the world.

Something roughly like that should do. Just change the pronouns to he if you're writing in third person. If there is no importance to the scene, then there is no reason to drag it out.

 

[Queenfisher]

I had just left the bar, leaving behind a disaster in the bathroom for the tavern maid to deal with, and started down the winding path of scary monsters or something. Other than a carriage or some other vehicle passing, the short trip was uneventful with no virgin beauties in danger from bandits or some other bad guys that only I could defeat. I took silver, gold, or some other form of currency from my pockets and gave it to the gate guard who gave me a hard time for no other reason than I was the MC. No women were wowed by my bravery and no background people talked about how amazing I was. I walked to the nearest food stand and purchased some variation of meat on a stick. Some little orphan kid or something with furry ears came next to the stall, so I gave him some food because I'm a morally superior person than the rest of the world.

Something roughly like that should do. Just change the pronouns to he if you're writing in third person. If there is no importance to the scene, then there is no reason to drag it out.

Before I saw that "for the tavern maid to deal with" -- I was a bit taken aback by your oversharing with us all about what you do to bar restrooms ^^.

Quite a way to start a post,

 

[UYScuti]

Before I saw that "for the tavern maid to deal with" -- I was a bit taken aback by your oversharing with us all about what you do to bar restrooms ^^.

Quite a way to start a post,

An opening line is always important! But seriously, if the author has no plan to use that 10 minute walk for anything, there’s no reason to spend more than a paragraph.

For example

“He walked out of the fire station and along the midnight street toward the subway where the silent, air-propelled train slid soundlessly down its lubricated flue in the earth and let him out with a great puff of warm air an to the cream-tiled escalator rising to the suburb.”

Fahrenheit 451 - Ray Bradbury

 

[Queenfisher]

An opening line is always important! But seriously, if the author has no plan to use that 10 minute walk for anything, there’s no reason to spend more than a paragraph.

For example

“He walked out of the fire station and along the midnight street toward the subway where the silent, air-propelled train slid soundlessly down its lubricated flue in the earth and let him out with a great puff of warm air an to the cream-tiled escalator rising to the suburb.”

Fahrenheit 451 - Ray Bradbury

Depends ^^.

The actual quote is longer both before and after what you quoted.

He walked out of the fire station and along the midnight street toward the subway where the silent air-propelled train slid soundlessly down its lubricated flue in the earth and let him out with a great puff of warm air onto the cream tiled escalator rising to the suburb.
Whistling, he let the escalator waft him into the still night air. He walked toward the corner, thinking little at all about nothing in particular. Before he reached the corner, however, he slowed as if a wind had sprung up from nowhere, as if someone had called his name.

What you list is literally just movement in-world between locations, but not a transition from scene to scene -- since scenes require framing and conclusions. My quote is a transition because it introduces new objectives and sets a new scene.

Of course if it's only a bare walk to suggest change of location, then yes. ^^ No need for more than one para.

But I'd still say it depends on the reader/writer. I (and most readers) want to see the reason for changing locations and that would necessitate at least some explanation, thus requiring much more than one paragraph by nature . Nothing is truly this random and would have a lead-in and lead-out, usually.

 

[Freesia.Cutepearl]

Maybe I'm weird but I like the sorts of things they do sometimes in movies, it's harder I think to translate to writing but...

As our tempers flared, I sought to escape the scene, after concluding my argument I left the room, slamming the door shut behind me.

~~ ***** ~~

Closing the door behind me, I finally arrived at home, my nerves calmed somewhat from the solemn walk home.

 

[UYScuti]

Depends ^^.

The actual quote is longer both before and after what you quoted.



What you list is literally just movement in-world between locations, but not a transition from scene to scene -- since scenes require framing and conclusions. My quote is a transition because it introduces new objectives and sets a new scene.

Of course if it's only a bare walk to suggest change of location, then yes. ^^ No need for more than one para.

But I'd still say it depends on the reader/writer. I (and most readers) want to see the reason for changing locations and that would necessitate at least some explanation, thus requiring much more than one paragraph by nature . Nothing is truly this random and would have a lead-in and lead-out, usually.

What would be a good way to transition to the next scene, where the character is in the place that they want to go to, without showing the reader the boring half-kilometer walk they took?

I left the rest of the quote out because it doesn’t need to be added for what OP wants. From what I read of their post, they’re just trying to go from point A to point B. You’re saying to use it as a way to develop the character or prepare for the next scene, which is good if that is the goal, but it really looks like they’re just trying to avoid saying, “I walked out of the tavern, and then I was at the new city gate.”

I assumed when they said, “without showing the reader the boring half-kilometer,” they meant nothing of importance was planned.

 

[Queenfisher]

I left the rest of the quote out because it doesn’t need to be added for what OP wants. From what I read of their post, they’re just trying to go from point A to point B. You’re saying to use it as a way to develop the character or prepare for the next scene, which is good if that is the goal, but it really looks like they’re just trying to avoid saying, “I walked out of the tavern, and then I was at the new city gate.”

I assumed when they said, “without showing the reader the boring half-kilometer,” they meant nothing of importance was planned.

Lol, I understood it as the "no actual descriptions of inconsequential stuff" rather than the lack of "transition from scene to scene" since the OP mentioned how intense the previous scene was, so I assumed they said it for a reason.

(Why mention it otherwise?)

In any case, more advice = better because it allows to choose for each separate situation!

And if it's what you are describing -- then what's wrong with just using the

“I walked out of the tavern, and then I was at the new city gate.”

--??

If that's what they need, they just have to write exactly that. What would be the problem, then? It's concise, to the point, and does its job perfectly...

Anyway, I still believe the movement/transition is entirely personal preference and depends on the situation, like I said ^^.

 

[Queenfisher]

Maybe I'm weird but I like the sorts of things they do sometimes in movies, it's harder I think to translate to writing but...

As our tempers flared, I sought to escape the scene, after concluding my argument I left the room, slamming the door shut behind me.

~~ ***** ~~

Closing the door behind me, I finally arrived at home, my nerves calmed somewhat from the solemn walk home.

I like this one!

But I'd say its use is specific to the often-visited places and wouldn't work for a new place or anything beyond the usual environments the character frequents? Just saying "I left Midgar" and then switching to "Having calmed down, I arrived to the Northern Canyon" would be bizarre. But very cool, ngl ^^.

Maybe I'm wrong, though...

 

[IDreamNovels]

Use a scene break and switch to the new scene.

Unless you want to describe the character's thoughts on recent drama that happened. In this case, you can just mention whatever mode of transport your character is using and then focus on the character's thoughts as he makes his way towards the next location.

 

[K5Rakitan]

You can always end the chapter and start a new chapter in the new location.