1. Cazzara

    Cazzara New Member

    Joined:
    Aug 29, 2013
    Messages:
    19
    Likes Received:
    11
    Location:
    Leeds

    No Paragraph Break?

    Discussion in 'Word Mechanics' started by Cazzara, May 3, 2019.

    Hey all,

    So, in my current WIP, I've had to restructure the last third of the novel and do some rewrites. For some background info regarding the chapter I plan to write: MC loses her Mum and goes to pick up the ashes. Their relationship was unsteady, and this is hinted at throughout the book, however I want an extra punch - as it's the main time the MC is recognising the realism, and coming to terms with the grief.
    I am trying to experiment with writing the chapter without paragraph breaks, aiming to show a train of thought rambling session: much like a eulogy with zero preparation. I feel including breaks could disrupt the impact of the scene. (For clarification, the novel is written in 1st person.)

    Would this be too jarring for the reader, or is it dependant on the flow and engagement?

    Thank you in advance!
     
  2. jannert

    jannert Retired Mod Supporter Contributor

    Joined:
    Mar 7, 2013
    Messages:
    17,674
    Likes Received:
    19,889
    Location:
    Scotland
    Hmm. I see what you mean. It would end up being several pages of unbroken text? That would be hard on the eye, as well as hard to follow. Blink and the reader loses the place?

    I don't know. I can see why you might try to do something like this, for story reasons. I'd say just go ahead and write it that way, and see how it turns out.

    What if, instead of periods/full stops, you ended every sentence with an ellipsis? (The four-dot one. Three dots works in the middle of a sentence, but it takes four dots (or three plus a question mark or an exclamation mark) to bring a sentence to an end. I'm kind of straddling the situation here, however. I think it's less choppy if each separate 'sentence' does NOT begin with a capital letter. It makes it feel more run-on, which is the effect you want?

    This trick would give the eye frequent places to rest, without the stop/start effect of paragraphing. And it would serve to 'carry on' the text.

    I'm trying this with your above post, just to see how it would look and read:

    .................

    Hey all....so, in my current WIP, I've had to restructure the last third of the novel and do some rewrites....here's some background info regarding the chapter I plan to write....MC loses her Mum and goes to pick up the ashes....their relationship was unsteady, and this is hinted at throughout the book....however I want an extra punch - as it's the main time the MC is recognising the realism, and coming to terms with the grief....I am trying to experiment with writing the chapter without paragraph breaks, aiming to show a train of thought rambling session....much like a eulogy with zero preparation....I feel including breaks could disrupt the impact of the scene....for clarification, the novel is written in 1st person....would this be too jarring for the reader, or is it dependant on the flow and engagement...? Thank you in advance...!

    ...........

    Would that sort of style be useful to you? Could you work with this for pages and pages?
     
  3. Cazzara

    Cazzara New Member

    Joined:
    Aug 29, 2013
    Messages:
    19
    Likes Received:
    11
    Location:
    Leeds
    Hi Jannert,

    I really like that ellipsis idea and will give it a shot to break up the text. I definitely agree about the capital letters. I find it jarring, myself. I think it would be beneficial to put them at the end of where there would be a paragraph breaks, to bring in a new scene? For example, I have MC talking about a specific event that happens on her bus ride over to the funeral home, then she jumps into reminiscing on childhood memories.

    All else fails, I'll scrap the idea and stick to the format of the rest of the book haha.

    Thank you for the great idea!
     
    jannert likes this.
  4. jannert

    jannert Retired Mod Supporter Contributor

    Joined:
    Mar 7, 2013
    Messages:
    17,674
    Likes Received:
    19,889
    Location:
    Scotland
    Well this is where you experiment, eh? Play around with what you end up with. Have fun!
     
    Cazzara likes this.

Share This Page

  1. This site uses cookies to help personalise content, tailor your experience and to keep you logged in if you register.
    By continuing to use this site, you are consenting to our use of cookies.
    Dismiss Notice