Writing Tips

Separaring Paragraphs

This is something I see a lot: people not knowing when the paragraph should break off into a new one. And it's a thing that a lot of people genuinely don't know.

First things first, how long should a paragraph be? Google says about 2-5 sentences, but I say however long you need it to be. Yes, there is a point where there's too much to unpack, but we'll get into that in a second. For now, just know that YOU are the author, so YOU get to choose how long your paragraphs are.

Just a tip: If you're going for a deeper, more emotionally descriptive book, then long paragraphs and big words work fantastic for subtly making the reader feel more inclined to think more seriously about what they're reading and to really take it to heart. For a more joyful or happy-go-lucky book, shorter paragraphs can really keep the reader enticed in the story and it makes it easier to read.

Back to the issue at hand: When do I separate my paragraphs? The most important rule is to start a new paragraph when a new person is speaking. Separating dialogue (at least, to me) is the most important thing, and it lets readers know that, hey, someone else is talking now, rather than bunching all the dialogue together. Less confusion is caused that way.

Secondly, you should start a new paragraph when the subject of topic changes. Say your character is having an inner monologue moment and they're talking about their past. They can talk briefly about things that happened in their past, how it affects them today, or short reasons why it affects them, but to go into detail, you'd need a new paragraph.

For example:

"I've always been an outcast, even since I was little. Mum and Dad treated me differently and now I feel like I'll never fit in because of them. Not to mention how I was treated by the other kids at school. You could say it's given me a case of Imposter Syndrome."

This paragraph touches lightly on what had happened in this character's past, giving the reader an idea of why they feel that way without going into detail about it. This is useful to put in between paragraphs that are already super lengthy to give the reader a small break. It's also great for foreshadowing, or briefly explaining something to the reader so you don't have to go into detail.

Versus:

"I have a hard time fitting in and feeling like I belong with other people. Perhaps it's the way I was treated all those years ago by my parents.

Mum and Dad always treated me different than my siblings, like I was some kind of abomination compared to them. They always got what they wanted and I was stuck with their leftovers. I was laughed at, too, by my parents when I tried to do what my siblings did. It made me feel so disgustingly different."

The first paragraph gives a hint to what's coming next and the second paragraph goes into detail about the character's parents and how they treated them, which gives the reader the ability to sympathise with the character and gain an understanding of why the character feels so out of place.

One more thing: You can use separation to convey emotion!

If you've read any of my books, you've seen the use of separation to convey the stronger emotions of a character. It has a really big impact on readers, and they can really feel how powerful it is when it's completely separate from everything else.

Here's an example from my book 'Petal's Diary':

"we made eye contact for a second before looked over at zach, who cracked a joke about jimmy looking like a braindead goldfish. i forced myself to smile at it, struggling to stop myself from glancing back at jimmy, who was just staring at me.

jimmy was so damn hard to get over."

I hope this helps!