Paragraph breaks

[Dave (imported)]

I've read entire books that are almost one paragraph.

It takes an exceptional story and a very good writer to pull that off and keep the reader involved in the story.

I'm not that good. Most of use aren't that good and shouldn't try it.

[Slammr (imported)]

I've been reading and re-reading the Faulkner paragraph that Slammr presented for a few days now and I remain dazed. Not their fault, mine.

That is the most Faulkner I have able been able to read, albeit I forced myself to try to get through it. It probably is good writing. I have concluded that no way could I ever decide if the original or the altered was better even if I had all of the original in the context of what's before and after because it is hard to grasp by itself.

Probably all writers have varying thought processes. I was going to say that on this subject I have nothing to say, not because it is not interesting but because I can't get myself to any conclusions I can support all the time. So, maybe I will come back after churning it around some more in that area Poirot called the little grey cells.

How long should a paragraph be? How do we know those little cells are grey? These are profound questions. I remain dumfounded for answers, yet thankful that wisdom may evolve by asking thm.

I don't know of any hard and fast rule on paragraph breaks except that one should start a new paragraph, when using dialog, every time there is a new speaker. If there is no dialog, when a new paragraph should start is somewhat subjective.

Paragraph breaks in creative writing can vary greatly depending on what the author wants to convey. In some cases, long stream-of-consciousness paragraphs might be appropriate, but - in my opinion - it takes a good writer to pull them off, and their use should be limited.

If one is trying to convey action, the paragraphs probably should be short.

This (http://ezinearticles.com/?Where-to-Brea ... &id=775735) gives a decent guide to paragraph breaks.

[Slammr (imported)]

We're chained together in pairs, and in pairs we go to meet our fate, hearing the screams of those gone before, imagining the pain they feel, the pain we're about to experience, hoping beyond hope for rescue, but knowing beyond certainty that it won't come. Free men, proud men - soldiers - we were before the battle, but defeated in that battle, we are no longer free, and two by two we become less than men. Two by two we lose our manhood, those two, seemingly insignificant, orbs beneath our cocks, the possession of which determine whether we're men or eunuchs.

A man, I am now; a eunuch, I'm about to become.

The above is something I just concocted. The first paragraph is a bit of a stream of consciousness. The second, one line, paragraph could have been included in it, but I think it should stand alone.

[ClassyBitch (imported)]

Thank you Slammr for helping to improve our grammr.

I luv this place.

So many dimensions of intelligent devience.

I don't know all the people who make this place happen, but again I send my thanks.

Thanks to the poster who said he liked some of my stories. That feels kinda good to hear.

Thanks to Theica for writing three stories with us in cahoots. The two so far are quite a hoot, and I look forward to the third.

[YourPhriendlyAuthor (imported)]

"

We're chained together in pairs, and in pairs we go to meet our fate, hearing the screams of those gone before, imagining the pain they feel, the pain we're about to experience, hoping beyond hope for rescue, but knowing beyond certainty that it won't come. Free men, proud men - soldiers - we were before the battle, but defeated in that battle, we are no longer free, and two by two we become less than men. Two by two we lose our manhood, those two, seemingly insignificant, orbs beneath our cocks, the possession of which determine whether we're men or eunuchs.

A man, I am now; a eunuch, I'm about to become."

The above is something I just concocted. The first paragraph is a bit of a stream of consciousness. The second, one line, paragraph could have been included in it, but I think it should stand alone.

Slammr,

*Excellent* example! The 'stream of consciousness' paragraph tells the story, and the single line summarizes it *perfectly*!!!

-YPA