Tips for Scene Changes

• Scene transitions can be a few lines to a few paragraphs.
• Use transitional words/phrases to help provide smooth movement between paragraphs, scenes, chapters, locations, times, ideas, and characters.
• Scene Change with a New Chapter
  • Readers expect transitions between chapters, so a scene transitions can be done seamlessly at the beginning of a new chapter.
  • There’s no need to write a detailed transition at the start of a new chapter if the previous chapter ended with a teaser of what is to come.
  • If the next chapter takes readers somewhere unexpected, a clear scene transition will be needed at the end of the previous chapter.
  • Transition words or phrases can be used at the start of the new chapter to help identify the scene change.
• Scene Change within a Chapter
  • Use a visual aid. ### or *** can be centered on a separate line to indicate a scene transition.
  • If the POV is changing, clearly identify the new viewpoint character as soon as possible.
  • DO NOT change POV in the middle of a scene and NEVER within a paragraph. This can confuse readers and the connection readers have to the viewpoint character will be lost.