Paragraphs!
You can use them in the comments too
Writing is speaking. There’s a rhythm to it.
Read all you want about grammar, and Oxford commas, and how to write a readable story (“One: Make sure you write a readable story,” et cetera), but don’t forget to speak.
You’re speaking to people. To one person. It’s a one-to-one conversation in each reader’s head.
That’s why — when you’re actually speaking — you’re told to focus on one person in the auditorium at a time. That’s why writers are told to imagine a reader (“Above the typewriter,” I was told) and write to that reader.
But think of this. A paragraph is also where you take a pause. You’ve made your point and you’re giving it a moment to sink in.
Then you’re starting on the next thing you want to say. Which is that commas are where you take a breath, and full stops — oh, I don’t know what full stops are. Work out your own rhythm.
Grammar, punctuation, varying the length of sentences — it all falls into place if you speak it, or imagine yourself speaking it.
But paragraphs. Oh, paragraphs.
Short paragraphs.
If you make your point and it sits on its own in a nice white space, people will notice it. But if you miss your moment to hit the para return and your point ends up sitting at the beginning of a long screed of text like this one, chances are readers are going to take one look and skip to something else despite the catchy title (“Two: Make sure you write a catchy title”) and all the SEO buzzwords (“Three: Make sure you use effective SEO”) like Sex! Drugs! Rock’n’Roll you add to your story.
Because — trust me on this — long slabs of text are just grey.
Short paragraphs — catch the eye.
Boo!
But I’m beginning to repeat myself.
And we don’t do that, do we?
