The decision scene at the end of each sequence — the six moments where the Protagonist actively chooses, plus the two moments where the universe rewards them.
Also known as: TS1 through TS8
Applies to: All story types
Definition
A scene where the Protagonist makes a decision. There are eight Transition Scenes in every story — one at the end of each sequence. Six are decisions the Protagonist actively makes. Two are rewards: the Midpoint (TS4, where the Protagonist wins the McGuffin) and Heaven on Earth (TS8, where they reach the ending they have earned).
Each Transition Scene is simultaneously the ending of one sequence and the beginning of the next. The decision made in each TS determines the content of the sequence that follows.
Why This Term Matters
Transition Scenes are what prevent a story from being a series of things that happen. They are the moments where the Protagonist is an active agent — where their choices have structural consequences. If a story feels passive or meandering, the diagnosis is almost always weak Transition Scenes: moments where the plot moves the Protagonist rather than the Protagonist moving the plot.
The six active Transition Scenes are all versions of the same core question: will the Protagonist follow the King's Law or the Universe's Law? In the first half, they consistently choose the King's Law. In the second half, the cost of that choice escalates until, at the climax, they finally choose the Universe's Law.
The Eight Transition Scenes
- TS1 — the Protagonist leaves the Home World (or is pushed out); the commitment to the Strange World begins
- TS2 — the Protagonist enters the Strange World; the partnership with the Muse begins; the Genie is formed
- TS3 — the Protagonist accepts the competition; the McGuffin becomes the goal
- TS4 — the Midpoint; the Protagonist wins the McGuffin; false victory (a reward, not an active decision)
- TS5 — the Home World reasserts; the Protagonist is pulled back toward the Habit
- TS6 — the partnership with the Muse comes under threat; the Protagonist must choose between the Muse and the Habit
- TS7 — the Genie is removed; the Protagonist must face the Strange World without cover; the highest-stakes decision
- TS8 — Heaven on Earth; the Protagonist sheds the Habit and is rewarded (a reward, not an active decision)
In a Kind Comedy — Examples
Ratatouille: TS2 is the moment Remy and Linguini discover the hair-pulling mechanism — the Genie is formed, and the partnership is sealed. TS7 is the moment Remy decides to cook as himself, in the open, with his family behind him — the Genie is gone, the Habit is shed, the choice is made.
In Bruges: TS2 is Ray deciding to stay in Bruges rather than running. TS7 is Ray choosing to protect the dwarf Jimmy rather than save himself — choosing mercy over the code at the highest possible cost.
In a Tragedy
Coming soon.
Related Articles
- What Should Happen in the First Act — covers TS1 and TS2 in detail
Learn More
All eight Transition Scenes are developed in the Kind Comedy Course on learn.tale-spinning.com, including templates for writing each one and worked examples from Ratatouille and In Bruges. The free Fundamentals Course introduces the Circle structure.