Connective Tissue Between Scenes
Sometimes you will simply jump from one dramatic scene to the next with a doublespace between them. At other times, you may want to write a bit of material that either loosely connects or separates the scenes. For instance, a scene might begin with a bit of omniscient scene setting from the author rather than in the voice of one of the characters. Be forewarned, that this bridge material can be boring, so try to keep it as short as you can and move as quickly as you can into the next scene.
Here are examples of some bridges and how they function between scenes; all of these examples are excerpted from Ron Carlson's novel Five Skies.
Purpose: Conveying background
When Gary and his wife Alicia had come to Southern California, Arthur knew it wasn't great news. Gary had folded many tents, staying with one public relations company for almost four years; that was his record. He was what? Too young.
Purpose: Summarizing events that are not important or interesting enough to dramatize
In town he went to the First Idaho Bank and deposited his check. He got another money order for his mother and he walked next door to the post office and mailed that.
Purpose: Creating a logical transition between one set of events and the next.
[Harry] learned long ago to tell just by the way Key walked onto the set whether to move fast or slow. He knew what to do now.
These connecting bits, like bridges between the dramatic scenes in your novel, usually come from the viewpoint of the narrating character, but might come from that character's perspective looking back from the future or from an omniscient viewpoint. Bridges don't feel as if they take place in real time like the dramatic elements of a scene.
