January 26, 2011
Transitions
In cello playing, some components of technique are thought to be harder than others, and one such skill is changing the bow smoothly. Teachers focus on this a lot, and while a student may progress as a result of this direct work, it’s always better to induce spontaneous improvement.
In writing, transitions are the equivalent of bow changes. I struggled with transitions for years until I established the habit of extensive practice writing. This appeared unrelated to smooth transitions, but practice writing has brought fluency which in turn has propelled me through all parts of my narratives with greater ease. So I no longer struggle so much with transitions nor tackle them directly; rather, they are a result of flow.
Music of Writing 