0-100 Real Quick Tips For Writing: Layout

*cracks knuckles* ALRIGHT LISTEN UP, THIS IS WHERE I NEED TO TALK TO SOME OF YA’LL.

So… when I’m reading though a story and it’s one massive paragraph and I blink or sneeze… I have to go back and start all over again because I cannot, for the life of me, find my place again because ya’ll haven’t BROKEN. IT. UP. INTO. SMALLER. CHUNKS. SO. THE GRANDMA over here can keep her place.

Please. 

For my sake. 

Break it up into bite sized chunks. My dentures can’t fit around the big ass paragraphs (love you)

How?

Ok.

Whenever a new person speaks. Start a new line.

Example:

“What did you just call me?” She snorted, crossing her arms defensively across her chest. He glared at her. “I called you a wussy girl, because that’s what you are.” “Wussy!? I’LL SHOW YOU WUSSY!” She hollered, throwing herself forward and slamming into him. “HOW DO YOU LIKE THAT FOR A WUSSY MOVE?!” She bellowed triumphantly as his back hit the floor with a thud.

Bit messy yeah? Like, you can tell who’s talking but it’s still a little confusing… (THIS WAS HOW I WROTE WHEN I FIRST STARTED I AM SO SORRY!!!)

So try this instead:

“What did you just call me?” She snorted, crossing her arms defensively across her chest.

He glared at her. “I called you a wussy girl, because that’s what you are.”

“Wussy!? I’LL SHOW YOU WUSSY!” She hollered, throwing herself forward and slamming into him. “HOW DO YOU LIKE THAT FOR A WUSSY MOVE?!” She bellowed triumphantly as his back hit the floor with a thud.

In that last paragraph you don’t need to start a new line because female characters is still talking. But you could do this to it if you want to tidy it up even more:

“Wussy!? I’LL SHOW YOU WUSSY!” She hollered, throwing herself forward and slamming into him.

“HOW DO YOU LIKE THAT FOR A WUSSY MOVE?!” She bellowed triumphantly as his back hit the floor with a thud.

Ahhh pretty~

!Paragraph! Basics! 101!

Ok so basically with paragraphs you keep all relevant information grouped together. (Look, not even I follow this rule all the time but I do try)

E.G

Maybe it was just a gut feeling that she had. Something deep within her being was poking her, desperately trying to get her attention. She fought it though, she knew that if she acknowledged it… she would then have to do something about it.

And he knew what he was doing. Sly to the core, he could tell she was right where he wanted her and he knew that if he kept his facade up for a little longer… all of his plans would fall into place.

^^^ ok I dunno what what ramble was but here’s the point I want to make about keeping paragraphs together with the relevant information.

The first paragraph there is talking about a ‘she’ everything that this ‘she’ is feeling…

And the second paragraph is now talking about a ‘he’ and what his manipulative ass is doing (lol)

I’ve grouped the relevant information together so that it’s easy for the readers brain to follow what’s going on.

If I wrote it like this>> 

Maybe it was just a gut feeling that she had. That he knew what he was doing. Something deep within her being was poking her, desperately trying to get her attention. He was sly to the core. She fought it though, she knew that if she acknowledged it… she would then have to do something about it and  he could tell she was right where he wanted her and he knew that if he kept his facade up for a little longer… all of his plans would fall into place.

^^ it’s a little disjointed now… the back and forth is good… it’s creative… but it’s a little messy to read (maybe it’s just me lol I have a simple brain)

IF you did want to make the back and forth work… put them into their own stand along lines… like this:

Maybe it was just a gut feeling that she had.

He knew what he was doing. 

Something deep within her being was poking her, desperately trying to get her attention. 

He was sly to the core. 

She fought it though, she knew that if she acknowledged it… she would then have to do something about it.

He could tell she was right where he wanted her and he knew that if he kept his facade up for a little longer… all of his plans would fall into place.

Ta Daaaaaa, problem solved 😉 

<<< 0-100 Real Quick Tips For Writing: Expanding Vocabulary

0-100 Real Quick Tips For Writing: Setting Out Chapters >>>