Chapter length: How do you connect scenes

by Sonya Kar
4th April 2013

If you are writing a chapter of scenes that alternate between present and past, or different countries, how do you juxtapose them? SOmetimes a series of *** to show the end of one scene or a change of font could help, but I am a little lost about how to present it for the reader?

Replies

Tenses ekkk I hate them!! In fact i hate them so much my husband wrote a piece of software over the weekend to identify tenses, past, present, mixed etc. It's pretty good, lol just as few errors as it picks up words like eyes and finger as verbs! Good luck Sonya.

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Emma
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05/04/2013

Thanks Victoria and Jonathan, I will put in an extra line space between such scenes. The switches of timeline are necessary within the chapter as there are portions of backstory or flashback that carry the story forward. These parts are not long enough to warrant their own chapter.

Adrian, I will try and find a copy of Blackberry wine in my library. Sounds yummy.

David, you are up late hours! Glad you use ***** too. They are just so helpful aren't they?

Now I need to worry about the tense, my novel is in present tense as are the flashback bits. I hope thats not a problem. Sigh...

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Sonya
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Sonya Kar
05/04/2013

**** is wonderful! I couldn't survive without them! :-)

If a publisher wants to change them for a house-style that's fine by me - it will mean I have a publisher! :-)

Apart from that I agree with everyone - especially about not confusing the reader!

David

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