The beginning of a story, alone, isn’t enough to keep the reader engaged with it. A good beginning should be followed up by smooth transitions between sentences, paragraphs, and chapters. Here, we discuss how these transitions are employed in a story.
Transitions between sentences
Within paragraphs, transitions between sentences take the form of simple words and phrases. They are used to string sentences together and give the reader an idea of what’s coming next. Consider the following words and phrases: but, next, in fact, after a while, in the beginning, when we finished, the last thing, not only this, when we were done, in an instant, etc.
Transitions between paragraphs
The transition from one paragraph to the next should summarize what has happened before; and suggest what is about to happen. Such head-to-tail transitions come about using words (however, for example, similarly), phrases, or sentences. They can be placed at the end of the previous paragraph, at the beginning of the next one, or both.
Transitions between chapters
Such transitions should entice the reader to read the next chapter. The writer should bring closure to the ongoing events and hint at the content of the next chapter. The next turn in the story should make sense, so it doesn’t leave the reader disoriented.
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