Different types of scene transitions:
As you probably know by now, I'm no expert, I haven't studied writing in depth, all of these transitions are based off of my own knowledge as a writer! Now let's get into it.
1- The blunt transition:
This one doesn't really count as a transition but is worth mentioning in this post, the blunt transition means no transition at all, you hop from the perspective of one character to the next without any attempt at blending both perspective's together. One scene ends, then there's a linebreak, then another scene begins!
Something like this:
character a finished eating their cereal and got up to go work, no more plot things will happen with them now
character b woke up in an angsty way, lots of plot things are about to happen to them now
This is most useful for stories that follow the perspectives of a lot of characters.
2- The timeskip transition:
The timeskip can be done in two ways, one is similar to a blunt transition, the other can be done in a way that flows more smoothly.
Unlike a regular blunt scene transition, the blunt timeskip transition doesn't require a line break, you just move on to the next paragraph.
The blunt timeskip transition is best used for short periods of time, a character going to sleep and waking up, or just parts in writing that you think would be better to skip over.
A smoother blending is better for longer timeskips, that take years or months. In a transition like this, you'd wanna focus on one object and how it changes over the years, you can pour your heart and soul and all the symbolism you desire into this, really amplify how long the timeskip is, it can take up a whole page, as long as it keeps your reader interested enough to see what happens next.
3- Same location transition:
It's in the name! This transition happens when there's a perspective switch in the same location.
However, do note that this is different from another transition I'll be mentioning later in this post, this transition specifically refers to when characters aren't in the same room, they aren't interacting, they could be in the same building and you jump from here to there, or even in the same country! The bigger the distance between the characters, the more room the transition should take.
4- Same room transition:
Again, in the name!
In this transition, the characters are in the same room, dealing with the same situation, and you jump from the perspective of one character to another.
How this is done changes drastically based on writing style, what you choose to focus on in the transition, what you center your transition around, do you focus on the characters differences in mental/emotional state, or where they are in the room, is one character paying attention to something the other character didn't notice, etc.
There's no right or wrong way to do it, a same room transition is best used for tense scenes where you need the internal thoughts of two different characters, maybe one of them is withholding valuable information and it's important for you to show your reader.
However, this scene can't last too long, it shouldn't distract your reader or cut the tension in the room
5- Same situation transition:
This transition basically combines the timeskip and the same room transition. A same situation transition is best used for timeskips or to show how similar two different characters are.
A same situation transition can also be incredibly angsty if used write, for example imagine character a and character b walking through a park together, then years later you show character a walking alone after character b's passing. This combines the same situation and the timeskip, into a beautiful stew of delicious angst.
The same situation is a good transition, but you need to use it wisely.
Since it's so versatile, I don't believe there's a best way to use it, but you should really only use it to create parallels between characters or events.
This transition can take up pages of description, and is generally longer, hence why you shouldn't use it a lot.
However, it can also work more simply, think character a getting coffee, and character b also getting coffee at the same time in a different place. Since this transition is smaller it would take up less description, and can be more blunt.
6- Same thoughts transition:
Much like the same situation transition, the same thoughts transition creates parallels in two different character's thoughts.
Emphasis on different here, use this transition wisely and it will blow your readers away.
Create parallels between your villain and hero, between your two enemies - soon to be lovers - or even between two characters who are usually friends but had a big argument.
This transition is best used mixed with a blunt transition, end one characters line of thought, line break, then start the second characters first line with the first characters last thought.
7- Middle-man transition:
Last but not least is the middle-man transition, which is a much less tense version of the same room transition.
Middle-man transition is when you don't want a blunt transition, but character a and character b don't interact, and none of the 'same x' transition are really cutting it, this is when you introduce character c.
This transition can also be used when c is delivering information from a to b, and you wanna capture both their reactions, and want it to flow smoothly.
In this transition you have a scene with a and c, then switch to c's perspective, if c is a character with an uneventful life then don't make the transition last too long, a paragraph or two describing their journey to character b will suffice.
If character c is a more important character you still don't wanna get too in-depth about their own thoughts and life, save that for another time, because right now your focus is on the transition from a to b.
That's all for this post, none of these are official names it's just what I found to be the best description of each transition! Make sure to check out my intro post if you wanna support me on ko-fi or patreon, or you wanna commission something!
Maybe some of this advice will help, maybe it won't, either way, I hope this feline has enlightened you!