To Paragraph or Not to Paragraph
"A paragraph indentation cues the reader to pause and take a deep breath." --WRITERS LITTLE BOOK OF WISDOM
Wall-to-wall words is a grey wall that turns readers off. A manuscript page with four or fewer paragraphs is bordering on wall-to-wall words and so each paragraph should be looked at to see if too many "topics" or "ideas" or "actions" were run together. Paragraphing is also used to achieve a balance and to control the story's pace. Both result in the easy flow and enjoyment of reading a story. Paragraphs also open up a page to white space. That paragraph-generated white space is an important mechanical device to use judiciously and for effect.
"A paragraph indentation cues the reader to pause and take a deep breath." --WRITERS LITTLE BOOK OF WISDOM
Wall-to-wall words is a grey wall that turns readers off. A manuscript page with four or fewer paragraphs is bordering on wall-to-wall words and so each paragraph should be looked at to see if too many "topics" or "ideas" or "actions" were run together. Paragraphing is also used to achieve a balance and to control the story's pace. Both result in the easy flow and enjoyment of reading a story. Paragraphs also open up a page to white space. That paragraph-generated white space is an important mechanical device to use judiciously and for effect.
However, an easier way for a writer to understand when to paragraph boils down to thinking of paragraphing like this: The reader is in a theater seat watching the story play out on a stage. Onto that stage comes Character A. The reader is fascinated by Character A and keeps their attention on Character A while he handles props, moves about, thinks, breathes, and speaks.
Now Character B comes on stage to interact with Character A. The instant that Character B entered, the reader immediately switches their attention to what Character B is doing and saying. When Character A replies or reacts to Character B, the reader must switch their attention back to Character A. In other words, if you're writing genre fiction (not mainstream or literary) every switch of the reader's attention means a new paragraph.
Such switching also applies to a noise or other stage business happening either on stage (like a phone ringing) or a car backfiring on the street outside. In a nutshell, any worthwhile distraction that the reader must pay attention to gets paragraphed. For example:
Marsha grabbed the revolver from under her purse. She pointed the weapon at John. "Don't make me use this."
John growled low in his throat and glared at Marsha. "You won't shoot me, I'm your husband!"
Now Character B comes on stage to interact with Character A. The instant that Character B entered, the reader immediately switches their attention to what Character B is doing and saying. When Character A replies or reacts to Character B, the reader must switch their attention back to Character A. In other words, if you're writing genre fiction (not mainstream or literary) every switch of the reader's attention means a new paragraph.
Such switching also applies to a noise or other stage business happening either on stage (like a phone ringing) or a car backfiring on the street outside. In a nutshell, any worthwhile distraction that the reader must pay attention to gets paragraphed. For example:
Marsha grabbed the revolver from under her purse. She pointed the weapon at John. "Don't make me use this."
John growled low in his throat and glared at Marsha. "You won't shoot me, I'm your husband!"
The doorbell chimed.
It's not:
It's not:
Marsha grabbed the revolver off the counter top.
"Don't make me use this."
John growled low in his throat.
He glared at Marsha.
"You won't shoot me, I'm your husband!" The doorbell chimed.
Another type of paragraphing is the "transition." That is, it's a word, phrase, or as many words as is necessary to alert the reader to a change of location or the passing of time, like:
Meanwhile back at the warehouse, Tom cursed his luck.
Or--
Two hours later, Tom's plane landed at LAX.
What seem to confuse a lot of writers is paragraphing dialogue. Whenever possible, dialogue remains with the focal character who the reader is supposed to be paying attention to. For example:
Marsha glanced at the gun she'd laid her purse over. Then she looked at her husband and the hard expression in his eyes frightened her. He was not about to leave. In as calm and controlled voice she could muster, she said, "Just leave, John. I don't want any trouble."
Not--
Marsha
glanced at the gun she'd laid her purse over.
Then she looked at her
husband and the hard expression in his eyes frightened her.
He was not
about to leave.
In as calm and controlled voice she could muster, she
said, "Just leave, John. I don't want any trouble."
Lastly, paragraphing helps set the story's pace--short paragraphs increase pace, long ones slow it down. Short paragraphs with short sentences really speed up the read. Long sentences in long paragraphs really slows the read to a crawl. Such paragraphs also govern if the material will be formal or informal (i.e., usually literary equals long paragraphs and genre equals short paragraphs).
As Theodore Rees Cheney said in GETTING THE WORDS RIGHT: A paragraph, for example, might be unified in its subject, scope, tone, style, point of view, character, scene, and tense, but unless all the logical connections between sentences within a paragraph and all the logical connections between paragraphs are clear, the total piece is not coherent.
Cheney also said that no one knows the proper length for a paragraph . . . no one can give any very helpful guidelines for the length of an "average" paragraph. This is so very true. Unfortunately, paragraphing is something learned by trial and error and figuring out what works and what doesn't work for the individual style of narration being used and the story being written. Yet, the more knowledge a writer has, the more educated choices they can make. So, on your revision "cheat sheet" make a note to look at your paragraphing.
Lastly, paragraphing helps set the story's pace--short paragraphs increase pace, long ones slow it down. Short paragraphs with short sentences really speed up the read. Long sentences in long paragraphs really slows the read to a crawl. Such paragraphs also govern if the material will be formal or informal (i.e., usually literary equals long paragraphs and genre equals short paragraphs).
As Theodore Rees Cheney said in GETTING THE WORDS RIGHT: A paragraph, for example, might be unified in its subject, scope, tone, style, point of view, character, scene, and tense, but unless all the logical connections between sentences within a paragraph and all the logical connections between paragraphs are clear, the total piece is not coherent.
Cheney also said that no one knows the proper length for a paragraph . . . no one can give any very helpful guidelines for the length of an "average" paragraph. This is so very true. Unfortunately, paragraphing is something learned by trial and error and figuring out what works and what doesn't work for the individual style of narration being used and the story being written. Yet, the more knowledge a writer has, the more educated choices they can make. So, on your revision "cheat sheet" make a note to look at your paragraphing.
And do stop back to this blog on June 1 for The Sampler's: "Had is a Handicap."
Catherine E. McLean
KARMA AND MAYHEM, a paranormal-fantasy-romance from www.soulmatepublishing.com will be published late this summer. Http://karmaandmayhem.blogspot.com or go to my home web page
Guest blogging May 1, 2012 on the NINE TYPES OF WRITERS a Strands of Pattern
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