This is another tip that makes sure you keep your reader engaged and thus avoid any confusion that throws them out of the story. When you start a new chapter or section, if a significant amount of time has passed, be sure to tell the reader so s/he doesn’t think something was missed or lost.

A sense of time and place is important to a story. It’s one of the things that grounds your reader. If this is unclear and they feel lost, you may lose them entirely. If they have to go back and reread something, or conversely, keep reading while scratching their head until it’s more clear, you have failed in your execution.  Frustration or not feeling comfortably entrenched in a story does not contribute to a positive reading experience.

As an author, such things may be perfectly clear to you, but make sure your transitions are such you don’t leave your reader behind, eating your dust.