I was reading a story the yesterday, where the person speaking changed in the middle of a paragraph. I didn't think you were suppose to do that, even though you likely end up with one sentence paragraphs.
Cheers
I was reading a story the yesterday, where the person speaking changed in the middle of a paragraph. I didn't think you were suppose to do that, even though you likely end up with one sentence paragraphs.
Cheers
even though you likely end up with one sentence paragraphs
Nothing wrong with one-sentence paragraphs, especially with dialogue.
Oops. Didn't remember commenting on the other thread. However, the thrust of the other thread was bit a bit different.
With dialogue I know to end the paragraph when another person starts speaking.
An exception that "proves the rule" on extremely rare occasions when several people are talking over each other, I have put several people's statements in one paragraph. The PoV Character and the reader may be unclear who said what; but someone or something ends such gibberish within a paragraph or less.
What I am more interested in is "How long should a descriptive or action paragraph be?"
I will often end a paragraph if I change to another focus.
For me it is typically a minimum of 3 and a half to 4 lines (on a standard 8 1/2" width page at 10 font) to max of 6 lines.
Due to the formatting of SoL it is 6 to 10 lines; but Not the dreaded Wall fo Text.
Even in stories I like, and sometimes from the same author, I find variable lengths of paragraphs.
Even in stories I like, and sometimes from the same author, I find variable lengths of paragraphs.
You say that like it's a bad thing. Are all your words the same length, all your sentences?
AJ
"How long should a descriptive or action paragraph be?"
Typically, action paragraphs are shorter and descriptive paragraphs are longer.
For me, when it feels right to start a new paragraph, I do. Sometimes during editing I break up a paragraph or, more rarely, combine two paragraphs.
"How long should a descriptive or action paragraph be?"
As long as it needs to be.
Generally, I find that I tend to write long narrative and dialog paragraphs. Then I review the Wall of Text I wrote and break the Walls into shorter paragraphs. I don't have a rule for minimum or maximum number of sentences or lines of text. I just try to keep content together that is related to a specific focal point.
I find that I get lost in other writer's stories when their paragraphs are very long. Especially when the paragraphs merge multiple focal points.
Just cast my 'eye' quickly over a sample. Paragraphs seem to clock in close, give or take to 100 Words. This is a big difference to paper writing where I've been known to write 800 word sentences as my though 'loop' is faulty when writing in that 'medium'. I may be 'middle-aged' but I'm a digital 'native' through and through.
I know each paragraph is technically meant to be a separate idea but with fiction ideas, especially mine seem to blend from paragraph to paragraph like a continuum or spectrum.
Not really sure on the dialogue side as I completely suck at writing that, only going back at the last moment and putting in that part of the flavour mix. Yes there is some here and there but only as way of a road marker or if it is already key to the plot.
Seems to be a question, "How long is a piece of 'string'? It's 17.5 CM btw, I saw a documentary on it years ago ;)