Writing Blog Number 2

20240916 Paragraphing In Fiction

Paragraphing In Fiction

Another request from a WdCer.

When do we use paragraphs?

This is a very good question. I have seen a deal of poor paragraph usage in not only the writing on WdC, but also in other places, and even some books. A hundred-plus years ago, paragraphs were seen as optional, especially in the “new literature” school – Joseph Conrad eschewed them often – but readers quickly came to realise that it made work difficult to read.
         As such, there is a simple acronym to remember when looking at a new paragraph: TiP ToP.
                   Time
                   Place
                   Topic
                   Person
Which means whenever there is a change in time, place, topic or person, then there is a new paragraph.
         Why use paragraphs is probably a good question to start with. Three reasons – to prevent confusion in the reader, to give the reader a mini-break, and to organise the information given.
         When writing an essay, I have already covered paragraphing here: "20240222 How To Write An Essay (In General)" . If I do say so myself, it is a nice and succinct overview of how to write a non-fiction essay (or fiction essay that you want to look formal and professional; you do you).
         So, when writing fiction, TiP ToP comes into play. Let’s look at these.
         A Time jump requires a new paragraph. Even if only a few seconds, it cannot stay in the same paragraph. Again, this is to prevent confusion in the reader.
         A change of Place into a new paragraph also prevents confusion, and allows for that natural mini-break to occur when telling a story.
         When taking into consideration Topic, this seems to be more for non-fiction, but in fiction can mean when the action changes. In simple terms, here's an example: driving in a car is one paragraph, getting out of the car is a different paragraph. These subtle little changes in what is happening, in the action, is a change in topic of what is happening in the story.
         The final one, a change in Person, is where a lot of paragraphing falls down. Every time a new person speaks, new paragraph. Every time a different person does something, new paragraph. Even if written in first person PoV (explained here: "20240121 Point Of View" ), when describing what one person is doing, then another, new paragraph.
         This then beggars the question:How long should a paragraph be?
         How long is a piece of string?
         A paragraph is as long as it needs to be, but making a paragraph too long is pushing the envelope. There will undoubtedly be a place where a longer paragraph can be split. The most common long paragraphs involve description; in this case when a new aspect is being described, change paragraphs. Having said that, capital-L Literature works can have paragraphs as long as two pages (or more). This is because of the dictates of the genre, and the expectations and understanding of the readers. Long paragraphs slow everything down and involve a lot more concentration. The same does not work, for example, in an action-adventure piece, where you want everything to be happening at a faster pace. Most genre works, in fact, need shorter paragraphs.
         How short? One word is fine. One sentence is perfectly acceptable. These really short paragraphs can highlight tension, add a sense of foreboding, that sort of thing. They can also be an effective way of introducing a narrative turning point.
         Long or short, it is what the work needs or warrants… so long as TiP ToP is followed.

         tl;dr: A new paragraph happens when there is a different time in the story, there is a different location, there is a new character, there is a new action, a different character speaks, and a new idea is introduced.
         Hope that helps someone!