Hi all,
Does anyone know of any links/books I can read on the structure of paragraphs in fiction?
I am aware of non-fiction guidelines(Topic sentence/supporting/conclusion).
Just wondered on any 'rules' for fiction?
Paragraph structure.
I don't think there are any "set rules."
Simply start a new paragraph where you feel the old one ends.
No real rules about paragraph sizes either.
Although those diehard "formulaic" creative writing types will scream: "Short paragraphs, lots of dialogue to break it up."
Have a look at some published novels. See how they do it.
Thanks Mikey,
I was thinking more in terms of what actually goes into the paragraph, say you started with:
The day was bright and sunny.
Should the following sentences advance the plot, develop a character, describe a scene or narrate an action etc etc?
Should they be about the object of the sentence or the subject?
I suppose that's where Authorship comes in.
Thanks anyways.
I can't help feeling you're going about this the wrong way.
If you don't know what to write - don't.
I think that extent of planning might kill any creativity. It's writing, not maths!
I'd echo what the others have said. There really aren't any rules (other than possibly, 'one idea per paragraph' as a general guideline for any writing).
I've seen 'rules' for, say, chapter construction which I'm sure have merit, but by following something so prescriptive at a paragraph level you're likely to end up with the writing equivalent of a painting by numbers. I really wouldn't even bother considering it.
I tried the 'snowflake' method once to try and re-start something I was stuck on. It seemed to work at first, but when I read it back later, it came over as self-conscious and clunky.
Good luck with whatever it is anyway.
ETA: or simply... What Zooo said ^^^
I've never really thought before what exactly goes into a paragraph.
I just... write.
See where it takes me.
Below is a taster from my novel, just to show you how I do it:
-------------------------------------
Kathleen Mackenzie peered nervously at the busy car park below. The hospital was several storeys high. Such a great height made her head spin. She stepped back from the edge and sucked in a deep pocket of air to relieve the vertigo. Plucking a neatly folded tissue from her sleeve, she gently dabbed her tear-stained face and graced the cloudless morning sky with her attention, like she was turning to God for answers.
The lone woman seemed rather out of place on the roof, with nothing but air conditioning ducts, defunct analogue antennae and feral pigeons for company. She was no nurse or doctor. In fact, she had no connection with the hospital whatever in a vocational capacity. But what she did have was the absolute mother of all reasons to be there.
Fifteen minutes beforehand, Kathleen had been at the bedside of her twelve-year-old son. Hooked up to a million beeping and hissing machines, bandages covered the boy from head to foot. She yearned to hold his hand, for her own comfort as well as his, but knew this could not be. One was rigidly encased in plaster. The sheer force of the blast had blown the other clean off.
'Mrs Mackenzie, your son sustained a great many injuries in the bomb attack,' announced a poker-faced doctor. 'I'm afraid it's only the life support equipment keeping him alive.'
Kathleen's eyes were beginning to well. She knew exactly where this was leading.
'You want to turn the machines off.' A pained grimace. 'I'm right, aren't I?'
'His condition is not going to improve. I'm sorry.'
Kathleen could hold back no longer. A loud bark of emotion, followed by frenzied, stammering sobs. She placed a quivering hand over her mouth to fight back further yelps. It took all her inner strength to emit just two little words.
'Do it.'
The doctor nodded gravely. He flicked the switches one by one. The breathing apparatus was the first to fall idle. One final laboured hiss and then nothing. The rhythmic beep-beep of the heart monitor continued for the longest time. Hope returned to the woman. Maybe her son was fighting it. Maybe he was going to survive after all. Maybe he -
The piercing, continuous whine of the flat-line tore through her soul with the ease of a freshly sharpened blade. Rivers of tears poured out. They zig-zagged chaotically down the contours of her wavering face. She felt numb. Deadened. Empty. Killing her only son had killed her too.
And now Kathleen stood on a breezy hospital roof, all alone in the world. She squatted to her knees and hung her makeshift linen banner over the edge for the world to see.
"GO HOME. YOU CAUSED THIS."
Kathleen stood upright and stepped forward. She raised her arms above her head with the faultless poise of an Olympic gymnast. She took a deep breath. Closed her eyes.
And then she jumped.
The stunned onlookers below watched in horror as the woman plummeted downward and landed with a loud bang on the roof of a parked ambulance. And then there was silence. Nobody moved. Not a soul said a word. What could they possibly do or say?
Kathleen lay broken and lifeless. Her arms hung wide, like she was about to offer her son the biggest hug ever recorded. Her glassy, unmoving eyes gazed eternally at the heavens above. One corner of her mouth curled upwards. It could easily be mistaken for a satisfied smile.
Her point had been made. Her work here was done.
-------------------------------------
Indenting can make paragraphing clearer to the reader.
Quote: Lazzard @ October 15 2010, 8:34 AM BSTI can't help feeling you're going about this the wrong way.
If you don't know what to write - don't.
Zooo - I think that extent of planning might kill any creativity. It's writing, not maths!
Hi everyone thanks for the replys, I wasn't thinking in terms of planning or what the story is but more in terms of general guidelines.
My English is poor and I'm trying to learn how to write correctly, there are guidelines for grammer, punctuation, sentence structure etc I just wondered if there was one for paragraphs.
Thanks anyways.
P.S. Lazzard, I know all the words to the story, just not necessarily in the right order!
Quote: Mikey Jackson @ October 15 2010, 12:38 PM BSTI've never really thought before what exactly goes into a paragraph.
I just... write.
See where it takes me.Below is a taster from my novel, just to show you how I do it:
-------------------------------------
Kathleen Mackenzie peered nervously at the busy car park below. The hospital was several storeys high. Such a great height made her head spin. She stepped back from the edge and sucked in a deep pocket of air to relieve the vertigo. Plucking a neatly folded tissue from her sleeve, she gently dabbed her tear-stained face and graced the cloudless morning sky with her attention, like she was turning to God for answers.
The lone woman seemed rather out of place on the roof, with nothing but air conditioning ducts, defunct analogue antennae and feral pigeons for company. She was no nurse or doctor. In fact, she had no connection with the hospital whatever in a vocational capacity. But what she did have was the absolute mother of all reasons to be there.
Fifteen minutes beforehand, Kathleen had been at the bedside of her twelve-year-old son. Hooked up to a million beeping and hissing machines, bandages covered the boy from head to foot. She yearned to hold his hand, for her own comfort as well as his, but knew this could not be. One was rigidly encased in plaster. The sheer force of the blast had blown the other clean off.
'Mrs Mackenzie, your son sustained a great many injuries in the bomb attack,' announced a poker-faced doctor. 'I'm afraid it's only the life support equipment keeping him alive.'
Kathleen's eyes were beginning to well. She knew exactly where this was leading.
'You want to turn the machines off.' A pained grimace. 'I'm right, aren't I?'
'His condition is not going to improve. I'm sorry.'
Kathleen could hold back no longer. A loud bark of emotion, followed by frenzied, stammering sobs. She placed a quivering hand over her mouth to fight back further yelps. It took all her inner strength to emit just two little words.
'Do it.'
The doctor nodded gravely. He flicked the switches one by one. The breathing apparatus was the first to fall idle. One final laboured hiss and then nothing. The rhythmic beep-beep of the heart monitor continued for the longest time. Hope returned to the woman. Maybe her son was fighting it. Maybe he was going to survive after all. Maybe he -
The piercing, continuous whine of the flat-line tore through her soul with the ease of a freshly sharpened blade. Rivers of tears poured out. They zig-zagged chaotically down the contours of her wavering face. She felt numb. Deadened. Empty. Killing her only son had killed her too.
And now Kathleen stood on a breezy hospital roof, all alone in the world. She squatted to her knees and hung her makeshift linen banner over the edge for the world to see."GO HOME. YOU CAUSED THIS."
Kathleen stood upright and stepped forward. She raised her arms above her head with the faultless poise of an Olympic gymnast. She took a deep breath. Closed her eyes.
And then she jumped.
The stunned onlookers below watched in horror as the woman plummeted downward and landed with a loud bang on the roof of a parked ambulance. And then there was silence. Nobody moved. Not a soul said a word. What could they possibly do or say?
Kathleen lay broken and lifeless. Her arms hung wide, like she was about to offer her son the biggest hug ever recorded. Her glassy, unmoving eyes gazed eternally at the heavens above. One corner of her mouth curled upwards. It could easily be mistaken for a satisfied smile.
Her point had been made. Her work here was done.-------------------------------------
Thanks for sharing Mikey, very dramatic!
Quote: jacparov @ October 15 2010, 6:53 PM BSTP.S. Lazzard, I know all the words to the story, just not necessarily in the right order!
There is no right order.
Ask William Burroughs.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6NU3dIdqIBw&feature=related
Good luck with it.
Quote: JohnnyD @ October 15 2010, 12:55 PM BSTIndenting can make paragraphing clearer to the reader.
For viewing on-line a blank line is better than indenting for separating paragraphs.
Structure is everything. Story. Paragraph. Sentence.
Marc P - Any tips on paragraphs? Not found anything on the net really.
It's writing style really. You have to find your own. I just wrote a novel with 120 chapters. And the first paragraph of each chapter has just one sentence. Before that the last novel had I think four chapters.
It comes down to genre if you are writing for popular genres then the shortish paragraph interspersed with dialogue isn't bad advice. If you are writing the literary novel then you can construct paragraphs of more parts. Think in terms of story beats cut to a new paragraph when something changes, or happens. Read Nabokov for mastery of the long sentence and paragraph and Robertson Davies or Elmore Leonard for the other and see what suits your style. It's all about rhythm really, you are the narrator so it's down to you what beat you set for the story.
Cheers Marc,
Read the masters! Always good advice.
P.S. For those who search this subjuect in the future I heard the Penguin Writers' Manual, has some advice on the subject of paragraphing. I haven't read it yet but will post a review when I have.