How do you space your paragraphs?

[Zekurom]

This is probably a moot point for a lot of people, but I'm wondering whether people have different conventions for spacing their paragraphs.

There are those who just double-space everything, those who just single-space everything (which is annoying to read) and those who have mixed conventions, like I do.

Mine is pretty formulaic, actually. The rule set is basically:

• Use "Level 2 spacing" on all "blocks" of writing.
• A "block" of writing is defined as:
  • Any paragraph that describes an event of the story.
  • Any complete exchange of dialogue between two people. Not all speech counts as dialogue, and not all actions count as events.
• Within an exchange of dialogue, use "Level 1 spacing".

In normal circumstances, Level 1 spacing is single-spacing (optimally, it would be something like 1.2 or 1.5 spacing), and Level 2 spacing is double-spacing.

So, here's the example passage:

"Hi," said Alice to Bob.
"Hi," replied Bob, as he ran a hand through his hair to straighten it out.

Alice led Bob to a room, and they sat down in chairs. Alice handed Bob a can of pop.

"So," said Alice. "I hear you got promoted."
Bob opened the pop and took a sip. "Yep. I'm Level 7 at my job now."

How do you do it?

 

[Der_Neuevenmenschen]

A strange figure appeared. "Dr. Octagonapus!" It said, charging its lazor.

--------------------------------------

A Mudkipz stared into the air, and saw something appear from the sky. It was a lazor.

That's how I space my paragraphs.

 

[Kayi Rowling]

Purple prose. More purple prose. Joke. Beige prose.

"Dialogue," description. Obligatory italics. "Maybe more dialogue."

Purple prose--tangent--and purple prose. Beige prose. Joke.

Writing style and paragraph spacing example all in one.

 

[āruscio]

I double break pretty much everything. But, if somebody does something like blush before they talk, I place it before their speech. For example, I'd use "B" below instead of "A".

A:

"So..." Joey said nonchalantly over the phone, "You want to battle my super awesome Rattata?" Ethan grimaced and clenched the Pokegear in his hand.

"No! Jesus fucking Christ, stop calling me for no reason about your goddamn Rattata!"

B:

"So..." Joey said nonchalantly over the phone, "You want to battle my super awesome Rattata?"

Ethan grimaced and clenched the Pokegear in his hand. "No! Jesus fucking Christ! Stop calling me for no reason about your goddamn Rattata!"

 

[Joshawott]

When writing on Microsoft Word, I always double space my work. It's become a habit.

Paragraphs however, I only create a line-gap when there is a change of perspective, time or setting. I always start a new line for dialogue if the speaker wasn't the last one to speak. For example:

"Hmm..." Bob said as he looked at the menu. "What do you want?"
"I guess I'll have a...salad" Carey replied."

Bob's next line was carried onto the same line, due to Bob having spoken before, whereas Carey gets a new line because she's a new speaker.

 

[Zekurom]

Bob's next line was carried onto the same line, due to Bob having spoken before, whereas Carey gets a new line because she's a new speaker.

*raises hand* Question! When you start that new line, would it be double-spaced? Because it's not specified in your example...

 

[Kavidun]

I do this:

Hello. My name is Joe. I have a wife and three kids and I work in a button factory.

One day, my boss said to me, "Joe, are you busy?"
And I said "No,"
"Then push this button with your left hand.

Hello. My name is Joe. I have a...

Double Space paragraphs, single space Speech.

And off topic breifly, I spell it with a "U" too! Zekurom sounds better.

 

[Zekurom]

And off topic breifly, I spell it with a "U" too! Zekurom sounds better.

My blog has a comment on that.

I space paragraphs exactly the same way as you do. Except that non-conversational speech also gets double-spaced. So, in these lines:

Ken had an idea – the up escalator was still open, so he ran towards that. But as soon as he started running down, the escalator started running at 20 times its normal speed, causing him to zoom back up again, falling on the ground in front of the escalator. “Leaving so soon?” said the voice. “We haven’t played yet.”

“Played what?” asked Rachel.

“My game,” said the voice. A ghost figure popped out of a wall. It was a Haunter.

“What’s your game?” asked Rachel, pulling out a Pokeball.

“Oh, my, you trainers,” said the Haunter. “Always so serious. Why not play a game with me?”

“I asked, what’s your game?” said Rachel.

The characters aren't having a conversation, even though they're talking back and forth. So this text gets double spaced.

This is a snippet from Chapter 27 of Generation 2021, BTW, which comes out tomorrow. ^_^

 

[Kayi Rowling]

This is a snippet from Chapter 27 of Generation 2021, BTW, which comes out tomorrow. ^_^

Do you enjoy teasing the general population? :XD2: Both readers and fellow writers who are struggling to write right now, I mean.

 

[Zekurom]

Do you enjoy teasing the general population? :XD2: Both readers and fellow writers, I mean.

Hey, at least I'm not doing it like Game Freak. :XD2:

 

[Kayi Rowling]

Hey, at least I'm not doing it like Game Freak. :XD2:

They're watching us :-| Be careful with what you say.

...but yeah, totally! :XD2:

Hey, do you recommend me to read your story?

 

[Zekurom]

They're watching us :-| Be careful with what you say.

I'm not slandering them *whistles* :naughty:

...but yeah, totally! :XD2:

Hey, do you recommend me to read your story?

If you want ;-)

Rate it as harshly as you can DDDDDDD

*ahem* Off-topic. Next post should be back on. (VM me, please, Kayi, if you want to keep responding to this.)

 

[Giratina!]

"So," said Rocco, slipping into a seat next. "How have you been lately?"

"Fine," grunted Mysterious Man.

Rocco leaned in closer. "Oh, come on, I know something has been happening..."

"No, not really."



A million miles away, a butterfly flapped its wings, and on a cold November day a boy named Benoît Mandelbrot was born.

My stuff. Everything is double-spaced except for scene switches, which are quadruple spaced. Otherwise it looks generally unnatural.

 

[Zekurom]

My stuff. Everything is double-spaced except for scene switches, which are quadruple spaced. Otherwise it looks generally unnatural.

On Serebii, I did the same thing except that I triple-spaced where you'd quadruple space.

I think double-spacing every single line of dialogue is what looks unnatural, personally.

 

[Kayi Rowling]

I think double-spacing every single line of dialogue is what looks unnatural, personally.

I say otherwise. Since this is a virtual medium, if it's not double-spaced, it could tire your readers more.

...just saying.

However, double-spacing everything is indeed weird in a printed work.

 

[Joshawott]

*raises hand* Question! When you start that new line, would it be double-spaced? Because it's not specified in your example...

I use single-spacing in creating new lines, for example:

That day...

That night...

Mainly because I write on MS Word, although, I've been recommended to double space when writing here.

 

[Zekurom]

I use single-spacing in creating new lines, for example:

That example is double-spaced...

I say otherwise. Since this is a virtual medium, if it's not double-spaced, it could tire your readers more.

...just saying.

I get what you mean, but for some reason, I don't think so myself.

 

[Giratina!]

In a printed work, of course it's acceptable to use single spaces. But since a screen is wider than most books and there's no easy way to format in some indents, I double space stuff when I write it online. :/ I used to write conversations in single space, and it began to look kinda ugly so I stopped. |D No offense to everyone who single-spaces, that's my opinion.

 

[Zekurom]

I used to write conversations in single space, and it began to look kinda ugly so I stopped.

To tell you the truth, I think it looks kind of ugly the way FF.net does it too (Single-spacing is way too tight), but the alternative is uglier. At least IMO :/