We want our writing to flow naturally. We want our readers to feel that we know where we are headed and we are in control of our writing. This means they can sit back and enjoy the ride!
We don’t want our readers to feel that we are jumping all over the place. We also don’t want our readers to feel they are reading a list of ideas written by a robot! We want to communicate with our readers in a way that sounds natural to them.
We achieve this goal by using transitions and sequencing to move our readers from one idea to another. We also use “signal words” to demonstrate to our readers how all our ideas connect together. Our readers will be more likely to understand and enjoy what we have written if we show them the road signs along our path of ideas.
Here are 3 Ways to Think of Transitions:
- Building bridges between ideas and events
- Connecting ideas and events
- Showing the order of ideas and events
We Transition from Sentence to Sentence and from Paragraph to Paragraph
We use transitions and sequencing to move from sentence to sentence and paragraph to paragraph. We use transitions and sequencing as an artistic tool. Not every sentence must transition to another sentence. In fact, we wouldn’t want to do this. We want to “sprinkle in” these transitional signal words artistically and creatively. The way we transition is the true art of writing.
Compared to transitioning sentences, it is a little more common to transition every paragraph into another paragraph. Better, though, is to show some artistic creativity! If the ways we use transitions are always the same, people will see the pattern, and it will become too predictable. Predictable is not creative.
Transitions and the Art of Writing
When it comes to the art of writing, there is little more important than how you transition throughout your writing. You want to lead and guide your readers along a path, but you don’t want them to be overly aware that they are being led and guided. You want them to be so engaged in what you have written that they can’t see or won’t think about your transitions.
In music, transitions are the sign of a true master! Have you ever heard a song that starts slow and quiet, and later in the song, it sounds fast and loud? Sometimes, you wonder if it’s even the same song! How did they get there? It’s all in the transitions!
Here Are Some Transitions That We Will Want to Signal Our Reader About:
1. That we are adding new information and continuing in the same direction
2. That we are changing directions or we are going to compare and contrast events or ideas
3. That we are going to show the cause and effect of events or ideas
4. That the order/sequence/time of events and ideas is important
5. That we are going to emphasize, repeat, or give examples of events or ideas
