FreeDigitalPhotos.net photo by Serge Bertasius Photography
The Power of Paragraph
So few people use the paragraph to their advantage. Yes, writing is about words and grammar and punctuation, but white space has power too.
WRITING EXERCISE: Write a scene, 100 words or less and use normal paragraph rules. Take the same scene, but change the paragraph breaks to enhance the story.
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Matilda (without paragraph breaks)
The boy ran until he hit the crossroads. Looking right, he saw Matilda, the most beautiful girl in town. She would be going to the marriage festival in the city soon. He always meant to talk to her, tell her how he felt. But he was behind schedule, like always, and turned left, restarting his run. He never saw her again. (words 61)
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Matilda (with paragraph breaks)
The boy ran until he hit the crossroads.
Looking right, he saw Matilda, the most beautiful girl in town. She would be going to the marriage festival in the city soon. He always meant to talk to her, tell her how he felt. But he was behind schedule, like always, and turned left, restarting his run.
He never saw her again.
(first published 01/23/2015; republished new blog format 2/23/2016)