MASTERING THE SEGUE
WHILE RIDING A SEGWAY
A segway is a personal transportation device on two wheels – no, not a bicycle. It’s much more quirky and dorky than your bicycle. Yes, even dorkier than the bike with the white basket and a dapper, chirpy bell.
A segue, on the other hand, is its corresponding heterograph (sounds the same, spelled differently). A segue seamlessly moves the reader from one place to the next. Segues transition your story from one idea to the next. A segue isn’t really a cliff-hanger, but it could certainly be described as a page-turner. Segues round out your thoughts, and show multiple perspectives of a multi-faceted idea.
Typically, segues are expressed through key words, including:
· While – since – in addition to – along with
· Obviously – clearly – similarly
· Consequently – as a result – subsequently
Remember adverbs? These are words that tell us how, when, where, or to what extent. Notice that adverbs play a prominent role in segues: “consequently,” “similarly,” and “subsequently.” These are known as conjunctive adverbs and they connect one phrase to another. These connections do not have to be similar ideas. The connections can be contrasts (examples: “on the other hand” or “conversely”). The words chosen might be other types of adverbs as well, but this type of grammar hair-splitting isn’t critical. The take-away from this article is to make writers more aware of the prominence of segues.
Let me know what other segues you create! While a riding a segway might be a lot of fun, you know that as a writer, segues can be fun, too. Just wear a helmet.
- brought to you by "The Crow's Pen"
