I was wondering if you could help me out with something. Sometimes my characters aren't in the same place at the same time - but they're all doing something important to the plot. You see this happening a lot in movies, but they can simply cut from scene to scene exploiding the two storylines. But writers can't just do that. So how would you let the story flow from one group to the other? Is it just words as "meanwhile" or are their other techniques? (My story is written in third person).
Using transition words like “meanwhile” are one way you can go about it, and it’s perfectly fine! As long as it’s clear to your audience where your characters are, then it works out fine!
In many novels, points of view (often reserved for first person books) or any longer parts that focus on one character are often split into multiple chapters, which is another way to go. A lot of it depends on your personal preference. Though you might want to consider how it will read to your audience. If you need to switch the focus among multiple characters throughout the entire story, using transition words a lot may get tiring, and you might want to split it into chapters or use a cutoff symbol (like asterisks * for example) and then begin a whole new paragraph(s). If your main cast of characters have just split up for one or two chapters or a short period of time, then I think “meanwhile” and similar words will work fine. You could also make comparisons between the two situations.
For example:
“Much like Jacob, Amy was having a rough time too. The battle was not getting any easier.”
It works well as a transition and lets the reader know the focus has shifted to a different character.
Use what feels most comfortable to you and your story. Transition words are perfectly fine, and if it makes sense and sounds good to you, then definitely go ahead and use them! :)
Mod Carolyn @theories-fans-andwombats