Author Hack April - The 10 line paragraph

Author Hack of the Month - The 10 line paragraph

This is purely psychological. Human brains like empty space on a page. Indentations are goal points in our brains. We like breaks!

When writing description or getting into deep internal thoughts of a character, it’s easy to write long paragraphs with no natural pauses. So what’s too much?

I will tell you. The limit is 10 lines. 

This is not sentences, but the number of lines in the block of text. If you write in a large (or tiny) font, you might want to adjust for size, but 10 line max is a good rule of thumb. Remember too, a long paragraph on your screen looks much longer in print or on an e-reader. 

I always recommend writing a first draft however it comes out naturally. Don’t stress too much about structure and specifics. But when you begin editing, if you ever see a paragraph that is more than 10 lines, break it up. ESPECIALLY if it’s in your first chapter. Someone new to your writing will only take little bites, so don’t overwhelm them with too much of that beautiful prose (save it for, like, chapter 14 when they are already hooked).

Here are three ways to break up a paragraph that has more than 10 lines.

1. Give your character an action - have your character stop thinking. Give them a specific physical action.

2. Insert dialogue - this can be to another character or even a character to themselves.

3. Find a natural break - Just pick a spot and make a new paragraph, like back in school when you needed to add as much space as you could to meet an essay length requirement.

Prompt: Find a 10+ paragraph in your WIP. Use one of the above strategies to break it up and see which version you like better. Share it with me and I may feature it in future newsletters!

Example: (From my WIP - Devoted to His Sword 💗)

Original

The man himself–Michel, she had learned–grated on her like no other. He was pompous and inconsiderate. A noble who wore a sword on his belt, she was sure it was all for show.  They were surrounded by gruffer men who could easily disarm him, if he wasn’t cloaked in the protection of his country. Where Eve had grown up, weakness had no purchase. Men, women– both had enormous strength. Their respect was earned–a person weak in spirit would never have the opportunity to command others. But everywhere this Frenchman went, people fawned over him and the trinkets he handed out. The men he traveled with obeyed him, while the merchants they met rolled over to give him what he wanted. Despite her annoyance, Eve still needed the protection from the dangerous men that would be coming for her, and she hoped to benefit from the way others responded to him. She wanted him to take her to France and to shield her from her pursuers until then. He could serve a purpose, if she could stand his ego. 

Edited

The man himself–Michel, she had learned–grated on her like no other. He was pompous and inconsiderate. A noble who wore a sword on his belt, she was sure it was all for show.  They were surrounded by gruffer men who could easily disarm him, if he wasn’t cloaked in the protection of his country. 

Where Eve had grown up, weakness had no purchase. Men, women–both had enormous strength. Their respect was earned–a person weak in spirit would never have the opportunity to command others. But everywhere this Frenchman went, people fawned over him and the trinkets he handed out. The men he traveled with obeyed him, while the merchants they met rolled over to give him what he wanted. 

Ridiculous, she thought. She hefted her skirts and marched behind him. 

Despite her annoyance, Eve still needed the protection from the dangerous men that would be coming for her, and she hoped to benefit from the way others responded to Michel. She wanted him to take her to France and to shield her from her pursuers until then. 

He could serve a purpose, if she could stand his ego. 

Which do you prefer?