When to Make a Paragraph

The general concept of paragraphs in writing is that they group together related ideas. This concept transfers into fiction writing, as well.

Anyone writing in the Twenty-first Century needs to keep in mind that the general population of potential readers is not accustomed to long, flowing paragraphs of information. The era of Tweets and super short videos has had an influence on people, so write in a way to keep them interested. Strategically using paragraphs will help lead readers onward into your stories.

While exact paragraph usage could fall within artistic purposes, this article will attempt to offer some tips regarding how to organize your writing into paragraphs. As a general rule, if you don't have a reason to do something else, try these tips and see if they help.

NOTE: Paragraphs in these examples are indicated by double spacing, not tabs, but tabs are the normal. Web pages don't always support tabs well, and this blog does not support custom CSS.

Tip 1: Change paragraphs in dialog when the speaker changes.

"Well, this," Carol said, "is very interesting!"

"What is?" Marvin looked up from his book to where Carol stood.

Carol held up a box and rattled it. "Something I found in the bottom drawer of that old chest we got at the flea market.

Marvin put down his book and stood up. "Okay, let's have a look!

Tip 2: If the person doing the thing changes, change paragraphs.

Walking across the room, Carol thought Marvin seemed very curious. She smiled and waited for him to get closer.

Marvin stopped a step short of being able to see in the box. He looked past Carol, in the direction from which she had come. The look on his face dropped into something Carol took to be skepticism.

Carol said nothing. Instead, she rattled the box again and waited.

Tip 2 Contradiction: To create a feeling of chaos and energy, you can mix actions of different people together.

Homer looked over at Jebb just before he swatted the hornet nest with a stick. As soon as he did, life as Homer and Jebb had known it changed forever.

Out from the nest swarmed a—a swarm of hornets, and they started stinging anything they came to. Firt, it was Jebb, and he started dancing and spinning, striking the nest a second time by accident. The angry hornets reached Homer a couple of blinks later, and applied their stings in mass. Homer didn't dance; he stood in place yelling, stamping his feet. Around Jebb, the cloud of angry hornets thickened, but still he stood spinning, yelping, and—thinking about it later—Homer thought he uttered something that sounded like a howl.

If the contradiction adds confusion, think about it this way: separate the action of different characters into different paragraphs unless you have a very specific reason to create a chaotic, high-energy scene. If the scene is confused to the characters, mixing action will approximate that confusion to the reader.

Tip 3: Change paragraphs when the object of the narrative changes. The object might be a character. It might be scenery or places.  It could be anything.

When the thing addressed by the narrative changes, it is a good idea to change paragraphs.

Tip 4 Summary vs Details: A common writing technique involves either providing details first, then summarizing or starting with the generalization and then going into the details. This can be more obvious when paragraphs are used to separate the two types of information.

Karen was pretty sure of her conclusion. Alan was cheating. 

Random probability suggested that the outcome of the game depended on chance. Players could not, without cheating manipulate the dice roles, and the dice roles determined where to move what. There was not, since it was a game meant for young children, really any strategy. Yet, time after time, Alan won.

He had to be cheating. 

Tip 5 Two Sides of the Coin: Sometimes, the narrative will highlight opposite sides of the same situation. This can be more clear if done with different paragraphs.

From Truthfinder, the forthcoming 11th book from The World of Siliar

To look at Kyla and Lola was to see two different versions of beautiful. Both of their faces where long and well-suited to their tall, petite frames. They both had long, wavy, raven-black hair. Both looked delicate and lean, though Lola a degree more so, but neither of them was fragile.

But there, the similarities ended. Lola was, at least partly, a descendent of the dark-skinned Dorsi people, the most highly respected and honored group of people in all of Siliar. Kyla described Lola’s skin to be smooth and the color of caramel. Kyla’s skin was equally smooth, but more like cream. Lola’s eyes were nearly as black as her hair, but Kyla’s eyes were blue and a bit rounder than Lola’s. Lola’s lips were slightly fuller, though both of their mouths were delicate and bow-shaped. Kyla was a little taller and perhaps a bit stronger.

Though they differed in appearance, they were kindred spirits. There was an air of innocence about them both, yet their eyes seemed to be wells of insight and wisdom. They were insightful and compassionate. They were creative and ready to solve problems. Both were confident and dependable, wanting always to do things well.

Tip 6 Otherwise: Keep the general rules for paragraphs in mind. The point is to split the text around similar ideas; to keep things together that are closely related.

Paragraphs can be used as clues to the reader that the narrative is moving to a different topic or a different angle on the current topic. These subtle clues help the writer clearly communicate ideas and add meaning and understanding to the words on the page.

Planning Stories: A guide to getting a project from beginning to end.

More than once, this blog has asserted that a story is not the same as a character sketch or a vignette. It has characters and things move and change. Getting a story from the nugget of an idea to a completed manuscript is real work, and it does not happen without focused effort.

What follows is a guide to planning a story and getting it going. It can be used as a worksheet that is directly completed or held to the side as a strategy or approach.

THEME, MORAL, POINT
After someone reads your story, how will they be changed? How will they think (and perhaps act) differently BECAUSE of your story? Is there a quote you are illustrating? Is there a moral mandate you are promoting?

TIME SETTING/TECHNOLOGY
If a fantasy world, identify a range of historical periods that match your world’s technology level (e.g. Bronze Age, Industrial Revolution). While you can mix and match somewhat, having something to start with is a good idea.

If writing in the future, sketch out some of the science behind things in the story (ray guns, warp drives, etc.)

PHYSICAL SETTING
Where does the story take place. Depending on the story, you may need a detailed “world map” or just the sketch of a room.

POINT OF VIEW—also POINT OF VIEW CHARACTER(S)
For a short story, you better have a really good reason if you plan to change point of view.

CHARACTERS
Open a different document to be the “wiki” for your story. In a separate document, you can look back and forth easily as you write the story.

HOOK/ENDING
Writing to an ending always seems to guide the story, so starting with the ending (at least in a bullet form) is a good way to start. Starting with the HOOK probably feels more natural, but can leave you wandering around. Therefore…

COMPLICATING EVENT(S)What keeps the characters from simply waltzing through the story? What is in the way of them reaching the ending? 

BULLET POINT THE PLOT
To be honest, it is probably unlikely that you will OVER-PLAN the story. Bulletting the whole story before finishing the first page is NOT a bad idea. It will guide you and keep you on track. It will ALSO allow you to PLAN side-track sections!

WRITE, REVIEW, REVISE, and REPEAT
As you go toward the PLANNED ending, you will want to keep going back to review/revise what you have already written. You might need to change or add details in early scenes to set up and make later scenes make sense. 

FINAL EDIT(S)
So you are done. Now, fine every comma error, every misspelled word, and every other error… Fix them. Then go back and do it again, because you didn’t find them all. 

And get someone to do a critique!

Following this guide is not some formulaic approach to getting your story in order. It is a guide to the work you have to do.

Ultimately, writing a story of any length requires accomplishing the above tasks in some order. Following this guide will give you some structure to your planning and help you develop a roadmap to the story you wish to write.

Troublesome Words… Loose and Lose; Flench and Flinch; Clench and Clinch; Shear and Sheer

It might be a problem more or less unique to me, but there are a few words I have struggled for half-a-century to figure out. Topping the list is loose and lose!

Loose and Lose

One means to misplace something. The other means to set free or to make less tight. But which is which, and how can you remember?

Loose means to set free or make less tight. It does not rhyme with choose (the other one does!) So, here's what I came up with:

The moose is loose!

Loose rhymes with moose… and both have two "o"s

Lose means to misplace something. That is to say, to cause something to become lost.

Lose and lost both have four letters. BAM!



Flench and Flinch

Spellcheck will betray you! Both of these are correct spellings of completely different words.

Flinch means to "make a quick, nervous movement."

Flench is an alternative form of flense, meaning to strip the blubber or skin from something, like a whale.

Only one of these will I ever do. I might flinch. Flinch has an "i" in it.



Clench and Clinch

Again, don't rely on spellcheck for this one.

Clench means to squeeze. Clinch means to settle or close a deal (but also to grapple, cuddle, or embrace).

So… this is a stretch… When you eat, you clench your jaw. Eat starts with 'e" an clench has an "e" in it.



Sheer and Shear

One of these is and adjective meaning just barely, nothing other than; or meaning minimally thick or having a minimal margin. The other means to cut something off (like wool from a sheep).

So, sheep are sheared. Lace curtain are sheer.

To sort these out with a gimmick, requires another stretch.

You have to shear around the ear of the lamb! "Ear" and "shear" rhyme and "lamb" and "shear" both have an "a" in them.

A person could win a contest by sheer luck. A cliff is sheer. A person might experience sheer terror or sheer delight (unmitigated).

Troublesome Words Lie (or lay?) Within

There are plenty of jokes about how English is challenging, and for good reason. Among the many challenges with English usage is the case of lay and lie.

What makes these words so hard? Let's think about it…

Lie, to begin with, has two meanings. The "not tell the truth" aspect of lie brings in another whole conversation!

Skipping over that, we get to the place where lie and lay have the similar concept of the position of something. Though similar, they are different.

Using the Apple Dictionary program, consider these two definitions:

lay ¹ |lā|

verb (past and past participle laid |lād| ) 

1 [ with obj. ] put down, especially gently or carefully: she laid the baby in his crib.

• prevent (something) from rising off the ground: there may have been the odd light shower just to lay the dust. 

2 [ with obj. ] put down and set in position for use: it is advisable to have your carpet laid by a professional | figurative : the groundwork for change had been laid.

• set cutlery, crockery, and mats on (a table) in preparation for a meal: she laid the table for the evening meal.

• (often be laid with) cover (a surface) with objects or a substance: the floor was laid with tiles.

• make ready (a trap) for someone: she wouldn't put it past him to lay a trap for her.

• put the material for (a fire) in place and arrange it.

• work out (an idea or suggestion) in detail ready for use or presentation: I'd like more time to lay my plans.

• (lay something before) present information or suggestions to be considered and acted upon by (someone): he laid before the House proposals for the establishment of the committee.

• (usu. be laid) locate (an episode in a play, novel, etc.) in a certain place: no one who knew the area could be in doubt where the scene was laid.

• Nautical follow (a specified course).

• [ no obj. ] Nautical go or come: they had to lay aloft.

• [ with obj. ] stake (an amount of money) in a wager: she suspected he was pulling her leg, but she wouldn't have laid money on it. 

3 [ with obj. ] used with an abstract noun so that the phrase formed has the same meaning as the verb related to the noun used, e.g., “lay the blame on” means ‘to blame’: she laid great stress on little courtesies. 

4 [ with obj. ] (of a female bird, insect, reptile, or amphibian) produce (an egg) from inside the body: flamingos lay only one egg | [ no obj. ] : the hens were laying at the same rate as usual.

Worth noting, lay has other usages, such as in "lay person" or "she sang an old lay about the sea."

lie ¹ |lī|verb (lies, lying |ˈlī-iNG| ; past lay |lā| ; past participle lain |lān| ) [no obj.] 

1 (of a person or animal) be in or assume a horizontal or resting position on a supporting surface: the man lay face downward on the grass | I had to lie down for two hours because I was groggy | Lily lay back on the pillows and watched him.• (of a thing) rest flat on a surface: a book lay open on the table.• (of a dead person) be buried in a particular place. 

2 be, remain, or be kept in a specified state: the church lies in ruins today | putting homeless families into apartments that would otherwise lie empty.• (of something abstract) reside or be found: the solution lies in a return to “traditional family values.” 

3 (of a place) be situated in a specified position or direction: the small town of Swampscott lies about ten miles north of Boston.• (of a scene) extend from the observer's viewpoint in a specified direction: stand here, and all of Amsterdam lies before you. 

4 Law (of an action, charge, or claim) be admissible or sustainable.noun (usu. the lie)the way, direction, or position in which something lies.• Golf the position in which a golf ball comes to rest, especially as regards the ease of the next shot.• the lair or place of cover of an animal or a bird.

Attempting to simplify this discussion, I have limited things to the verbs, though both lay and lie come with noun versions as well.

Also, congratulations, English, for making the past tense of lie the word lay. That helps!

So, the first question becomes knowing which (lay or lie) to use. Once the right word is found, then finding the right tense comes next.

The key difference is that lay always requires and object. If something is being placed somewhere, it is the word lay (or the past tense, laid) such as:

Bob and Mary lay the books on Mary's desk.

If something is just being described to be in a place, it is lie (or the past tense, lay) such as:

The books lie on Bob and Mary's desk.

How shall this ever be easy to remember? How about an analogous comparison?

Let us consider sit and set! (But, ignoring the connotation of set to mean a group of things.)

These words work like lay and lie, yet seem to do so without nearly the confusion. Sit is an action that puts something into a particular position. Set is something that is done to something else.

Though it is possible to confuse these two words as well, I am inclined to think most writers do not as often mix these up, so we can see by example:

I am going to sit in this chair.
I am going to set this glass down, too.

If a command of sit and set is possessed, then mastery of that can be extended to lie and lay. (Or, if either of the two is mastered, then that mastery can easily be extended to the other.)

Look at the usage for sit and set:

Mary set the books on her desk.

and

The books sit on Mary's desk.

So, how does this help? Set is analogous to lay and sit is analogous to lie.

So, how does that help?

If you can remember how to use sit, then you can pair that with how to use lie. And here's the "trick"!

The second letter of lie and sit is (coincidentally) the same! 

For writers who have no trouble with sit versus set, this relationship can inform the use of lie and lay. Once the correct word is found, then finding the correct tense follows, but getting to the correct word in the first place needs to be done…first.

Disguising Descriptions

Many readers like to have the author describe things for them. There is a balance between filling in the details and leaving room for the reader to create the world of the story in their head. Whatever the level of description that is provided, there are different ways to provide it, depending on what the story needs.

There is an efficiency to just telling what someone looks like. But is that interesting?

There has to be a balance between showing and telling. There needs to be times when a writer just tells the reader something that is not of monumental importance and move on. It's generally a good idea to limit unimportant descriptions to only what is needed to move the story ahead.

Suppose there is a fantasy fight scene, and the hero is being battling through the enemy forces. This might be a case where a quick "tell" trumps "showing" the details. Suppose the hero is named Bob and he is trying rescue Princess Jane.

Bob jumped over the body of the enemy he had just defeated and hurried toward Princess Jane, but he quickly realized his goal would not be easily reached. A huge, grim-faced man with a massive battle-axe stood in his way.

With just a few words, a rough sketch of his enemy it provided, and the action continues unbroken. Alternately, the writer could "show" through many words that the attacker was… a huge, grim-faced man with a massive battle-axe.

There are, however, many times when just "telling" the reader what someone looks like is boring and trite. There are times when the technique of "showing" is much more appropriate.

One way is to have a character react to the appearance of the other person. For instance, instead of telling the read that:

Jane was a pretty girl with long, blond hair and a contagious smile.

a character (Bob again) could be used to show the reader:

Bob looked down at his sweater and noticed a long, blond hair clinging to it, contrasted against the dark blue wool. He figured it must belong to Jane, and thought about how she liked to push her hair back behind her ears. He always thought doing that enhanced just how pretty she was, especially when she flashed her contagious smile.

The use of the showing technique is limited only by the creativity of the writer to do so. What's more, with showing, the description can be used to move other subtle plot points along at the same time.

The challenge is to decide when to show and when to tell. As a rule, showing wins, but at the risk of potentially slowing the pace of the story.

Even if the story is served well by just telling something, breaking the description up in sections can make it more interesting. Likewise, using the "show" technique can work even better if it is broken up into sections.

Mary watched Leon as he brushed out his hair for the third time since they started driving. It wasn't as if he had that much hair in the first place. He crew cut was fresh, and she saw no reason he needed to brush it so much. 

The sunshine angled into the side window and lit up his hair making it glow like some bushy, red toy animal. Mary thought it was a little funny, and smiled. 

"What?" Leon looked over at her and tossed her the brush. 

"Nothing…" 

"Why are you smiling, then? You don't do that without a reason." 

"Okay, the way the sun shines through your hair made me think of a little red-headed troll doll." 

Leon laughed and looked down the road, then shook his head and muttered. "As if trolls have amazing blue eyes and freckles. Really, Mary! Be serious." 

"Okay, if you say so."

The little scene took some turns and twists before painting the picture that Leon had short, red hair, blue eyes, and freckles. But it might be that the twists and turns were interesting.

When creating descriptions, the adage of "show, don't tell" is important. Though there are times when it isn't called for, as a rule, it is always better to find some way to make the descriptions do more than paint a picture. And when the "show" technique is used, this is far more easily done.

Picking Point of View

At some point after deciding upon the desired reader response and getting a sketch of what will happen to bring that about, the time comes to start crafting scenes that will actually unfold the story. Before anything is written, it is necessary to decide how to handle point of view.

Point of view determines many things in how the story is told, and it is not something to approach without serious consideration. It arguably has as much to do with how a story unfolds as anything else.

For instance, if a story it told in first person past tense (and to write in any other tense is an exception to the norm), it is fair to assume that the speaker didn't die. If the point of view is third-person and limited to the protagonist (let's say Alex), then only the thoughts of Alex can be revealed. If Alex does not know, then the reader does not know. HOWEVER, the reader ought to know everything Alex knows, so if Alex is a spy or a criminal or in love with another character, the reader should know.

Picking the point of view, therefore, becomes a very, very important consideration. What is decided has far-reaching impact into how the story is told.

For example, consider how the POV impacts the following examples.

Example 1

Alex stood looking at the situation, a look of concern on his face. He rubbed his hand over the back of his neck and took a tentative step forward onto the creaking lake ice.
Ahead of him, the small child called for help once more. Alex took another step, and stopped, waiting for the cracking ice to reveal its strength before going further. 

"Hang tight!" Alex yelled. 

He looked back at the shore to see if the other first-responders were coming, shook his head, and took another step. Four steps later, Alex laid down on the ice and reached ahead for the child. 

"Take my hand! Hurry!" 

The child groped for Alex's hand, finally clasping it. Alex pulled the wet, cold child onto the ice, then pushed him for shore. 

"Scoot toward shore. Go now." 

Alex didn't move until the child had slid well away from the danger area, then he slid himself for shore. Once he was much closer, he rose to his feet and carefully took himself the rest of the way to where the rest of the rescuers waited.

Example 2

Looking at the situation, I couldn't believe what I saw, but the kid was yelling for help, so I knew I had to do something. When I stepped onto the ice, I thought for sure it was going to give way, but it held. 

I could see the kid was scared, so I yelled. "Hang tight!" 

Looking back up the shore, I could see my buddies from the unit coming down the bank, but they didn't seem to be in a big hurry. The grade was steep and covered with ice, so I figured they didn't want to end up in the lake. I moved four more steps over the creaking ice before I laid down to spread out my weight. I figured I was about to either die or save a kid, and I almost laughed.

"Take my hand! Hurry!" 

I reached for the kid, but he just sat there like he was frozen, barely moving, until I wagged my fingers and got his attention. I finally got a grip on him, and his strength surprised me, so I was able to pull him out onto the ice. 

I shoved him along the ice, toward shore, belly down. "Scoot toward shore. Go now." 

I laid there on the ice after that, half-expecting it to crash through with me, until he was at least to the shallows, then I slid along after him a good distance before standing up. I got off the ice as fast as I could, to where the rest of the crew waited for me.

Clearly, the events are the same. However, the reader senses the scene quite differently because the point of view is different.

The Internet is, of course, full of many, many, discussions of point of view. Consider a couple of links:

http://thewritepractice.com/point-of-view-guide/ 

http://www.writersworkshop.co.uk/PointsofViewinFiction.html 

http://www.writersdigest.com/writing-articles/by-writing-goal/improve-my-writing/what-point-of-view-should-you-use-in-your-novel

Some Things to Consider

There are numerous things to consider in using point of view.

Switching Points of View

Changing points of view in a single work needs to be thought through carefully. Does the risk of offending or confusing the reader outweigh the value of having different points of view? The shorter the work, the less desirable it is to change points of view.

Dead Men Tell no Tales

If using first person, and you plan on killing off the point of view character, you will have some challenges to face.

One Character Can't Know Everything

If you are writing from a character point of view (even in 3rd person) that character can't know what the others are thinking. They can know what they are thinking and, therefore, the narrative can include that. They can only infer what others are thinking.

Just then, a clown jumped out of the refrigerator. Carl was shocked, but Maddy's expression seemed to reveal that she was horrified.

Carl, in the example, is the narrator, and thus, the narrator can report what Carl felt, but only what Carl thought about Maddy's reaction.

Closing Thoughts

By this point in the history of the Internet, a writer could probably spend weeks, if not more, researching different ideas about point of view.  Chances are, beginning writers could find a host of opinions and ideas that would help them guide their writing. Or confuse them.

A good beginner strategy is to jump in and just use first person or third person, limited, and start writing. Doing this will help them develop skills in sticking to a perspective that they can expand as they grow in their experiences.

Constructing Dialog

One of the great tasks of writing fiction is to depict conversations between the characters. There are clearly many creative, artistic consideration that go along with writing dialog, but there is also some things that cross over into the mechanics.

There are many, many, internet sources related to writing dialogue. Among those is this one from Writers Digest:

http://www.writersdigest.com/editor-blogs/there-are-no-rules/keep-it-simple-keys-to-realistic-dialogue-part-i

However, for the sake of keeping things easy to find, I'll share a few things that seem very important in composing dialogue.

Beats vs Attribution

Any time you write dialogue, you probably want to make sure your reader knows who is saying what. This is done, generally one of two ways, and usually in combination.

The first, tried and true, method is the use of attribution. An attribution is a simple direct way of showing who said something.

"Well, that was interesting," Jane said.

Beats combine some character action with the words they say, so that the reader both sees what is happening and hears what is said.

"Well that was interesting." Jane nodded her head and rolled her eyes.

The punctuation for an attribution is rather set. The words spoken are in quotes and there is a comma that sets off the attribution which is outside the quotes. While it seems very boring, when using attributions, it is usually best to stick to some basics and avoid being flowery. Thus, a small repertoire of attributing words can get most of the work done: said, asked, replied, repeated. Unusual words can actually distract from the story! Compare:

"I, for one, think your hair looks great!" Carol replied. 

"I for one, think your hair looks great!" Carol opined.

Keep in mind that the purpose of attribution is to let the reader know who said what. In some cases, a little more information can be added, and style will ultimately dictate just how much, but as a rule, limiting the work done by attributions is a good idea.

In almost every case, what each person says should be treated as its own paragraph. When using beats, a few short sentences can be included with the spoken words, but make sure that it is clear who is saying what. If you have a lot of action, just set that up as a paragraph, and put the words spoken in a paragraph of their own.

It usually works well to use beats and attributions in combination. Compare the two versions of the scene below.

Carol and Kevin sat at the small cafe table waiting on their coffees to be served. Carol was clearly upset, and Kevin wanted to help her through the situation as best as he could.

"I really don't know what to do," Carol said. 

She looked around at the others present, as if an answer lurked somewhere among them. Kevin waited for her to look back at him and settle down. 

"It will be fine. I'll stick with you through it all," Kevin said. 

"I know you will," Carol replied. 

The waiter brought their coffee. 

Now, see how this passage reads if some of the attributions are changed.

Carol and Kevin sat at the small cafe table waiting on their coffees to be served. Carol was clearly upset, and Kevin wanted to help her through the situation as best as he could.

"I really don't know what to do." She looked around at the others present, as if an answer lurked somewhere among them. 

Kevin waited for her to look back at him and settle down. "It will be fine. I'll stick with you through it all."

"I know you will," Carol replied. 

The waiter brought their coffee. 

The story is the same, but there is just a different feel to the second version. The possibilities are endless, and the art is to find the best combination that best fits the style and tone of the story.