How To Do Transitions
Many writers I know obsess about transitions from one section or scene to another. It comes up particularly when you are in the editing stage and are moving big chunks of manuscript from one place to another. Everyone (including me) always thinks it will be hugely complicated and difficult, but I have found that it is usually simple. In fact, there often doesn’t need to be a transition at all. That’s why I recommend marking where you think you need them, but then waiting until you read through the manuscript again before actually proceeding. You may find that you can trust your reader more than you thought, that the reader will be able to make the leap without you holding their hand.
If that’s not the case, and you need what I call “connective tissue” to get you from one place to the next, try keeping it very simple, basic, and literal. A very obvious sentence will often work for nonfiction (I find many writers forget the obvious things, because they are so accustomed to them they don’t see what they take for granted. See if you can read with the novice’s eyes and put in what they don’t know.) For fiction, consider that you may not need to start with the transition. Often you can cut to a new moment (in the middle of action), then in the next paragraph backtrack and explain how your character got there.
If this still isn’t helping, pick up a favorite book and study how the author handled transitions. You may be surprised to see how often they weren’t used at all, or were very simple. Give it a try.