Jan 6, 2009
Not pressing Enter is rude to your readers (unless you just don’t care, but that’s rude, too).
Understandably, people often think I’m against lengthy blog posts.
I’m not.
I’m against lengthy paragraphs. They’re always, always—without exception—unhelpful online.
* * * * *
Agreed. I was reading a book review the other day that look like it was interesting, but it was just one looooong paragraph and I couldn’t hang with it to the end.
Is this why no one seems able to read Dickens anymore? Sometimes I think I’m in the wrong century … :-)
Seriously, this is something I have to consciously go back and do (when I have time). Separate a paragraph where really there is no reason other than length.
On another note, maybe this is why Taylor thinks Jane Austen is “emotional pornography” – those long paragraphs just seemed too linguistically lush. ;-)
agreed–I almost always skip long paragraphs online. I’m more accepting of long paragraphs in print.
How about in the comments section?
I hate lengthy comments.
You’re just a pushover for the feed readers, Abraham. You have your audience, and I have my comic books.
it’s not so much rude as it is shooting yourself in the foot. all those thoughts that no one will suffer to read…
There is always exceptions.
You got me curious, Ben.
Indent (or space) and just say it already!I
Somebody help me to some short succinct paragraphs please!
On the other hand, sometimes I wonder if we live in such an A.D.D. society that it has affected our reading, our meals, our relationships and yes, even our appreciation of the great Dickens who was a master of long paragraphs and character development. Dickens is not for the A.D.D..
A good writing adventure would be to take a Dicken’s paragraph and do some editing if you have the nerve, though it may be less a matter of nerve and more a matter of time.
But what do I know? (If anyone took the time to read this 4 paragraph long comment, please don’t answer that question.)
Do you want to talk about long sentences?
Just a note:
My 4 paragraphs were indented,
but they didn’t publish indented!
I suppose I should have spaced, since it looks like a very long paragraph now and may have caused discomfort or distress.
Whataboutnotpressingthespacebar?
Yup.
I wrote my post differently today because of this post.
amen and amen. white space is your friend.
Unfortunately, for those who don’t know HTML (or how feed readers will treat white space) long paragraphs are going to be a part of blogging. A good title and intro sentence will get me to read a long paragraph, even if I need to shrink my web browser to make it readable.
I have people e-mail me for suggestions when they begin blogging.
My advice I give each one of them is simple. Use short paragraphs.
My eyes start to cross when I see long and continuous lines of letters.
For me it really is the format that makes the difference. I love Jane Austen and Dickens, and can get lost in them by the hour if I can spare the time. Or sleep.
But big blocks of text online make my eyes cross.
Part of it may be mindset – I’m generally pretty task oriented at the computer. But I think part of it is sheer visual discomfort.
It seems you are right.
How words are presented is important.
Perhaps just as important as choosing the right words.
clarifies.
W
O
R
D
.
:)
I love Dickens, and I love short online paragraphs. :-)
But Molly, et al., it does seem clear that ways of speaking and writing in one forum (chat, im, text, cell phone, etc) do transfer.
This is what could kill Dickens. Not that short paragraphs online aren’t the right thing … but boy am I afraid for the fact that they are the right thing.
She wrote beautiful stories, but they became 12 inch long sentences. I decided to act.
If I linked, YOU would wade in words forever.
*My comment to her 24 inches of words is below.
*Daria’s reply (Please, scroll by) was 1/5 the length of one of her comments.
*And finally, my thoughts on the paragraph:
Those willing to read to the end will be rewarded with an understanding of the paragraph.
Let’s test Abraham…..
Danny Lucas
April 28th, 2008 at 4:33 pm
I wonder, how can we not appreciate what God has given us?
—Daria
“I have given thee the paragraph, that thou may understandeth MY grand concepts in palatable portions.
Use the gift of My paragraph, abundantly.
One is not sufficient”
—God, Leviticus 29:40 (the unwritten paragraph)
[THIS MAY BE SCROLLED:]
Daria
April 28th, 2008 at 11:42 pm
Danny, I have come to find I can always rely on your replies as ” food for thought and inspiration “. I admit I had to dig out my Bible to hunt the pages and will re-read the verse to understand it clearly, but thank you for your comments, as always. They are appreciated and make me ponder. On another note, regardless of the conditions in my neighborhood, I have a warm, cozy home. A wonderful family. Two beautiful Border collie puppies! I have been blessed with some wonderful neighbors who have been here for years who I can still borrow a cup of sugar from, sit and share a cup of nice warm coffee on a cold winter night or an iced tea on a warm summer evening. They have been my neighbors for 18 + years. When they don’t have a ride to church or to the market, I can drive them. At Easter ( my favorite Holy Time of the Year), they brought me gifts of Easter Lilies knowing they were my favorites as thank you gifts, not knowing that I too had gotten them an Easter plant. We have shared the deaths of parents, spouses, children. Helped each other cook food for new babies that arrived, or prepared foods for the losses of loved ones. During the snowstorm of 2008, we all pitched in to shovel when to our surprise our neighbor came out with his ATV with a plow attached and plowed all of our side walks, and we moved our cars so he could plow our STREET! In all the mix of craziness we have at times, we still have ” real true Neighbors ” that share a common bond. While I will try to understand your Bible Verse I will also remind myself to Thank God for the Blessings I have found in my own little corner of the world.
[THE PARAGRAPH!]
Danny Lucas
April 29th, 2008 at 5:16 am
Daria,
I usually like just coffee for breakfast.
Today, I am having an extra large slice of humble pie along with the coffee.
Your words to me are kind and gracious.
Your words to this audience are insightful and a way for all readers to grasp a part of our collective history.
To the best of my knowledge, there is no Chapter 29 in Leviticus. Leviticus ends at Chapter 27. Hence, Chapter 29 is a “missing paragraph”.
Your walks down history remind me of Larie Pintea in the Morning News (better of the two shifts of newspaper at the time. The Times-News always claimed to have two newspapers, but everyone knew they were just joshing and had two shifts of workers at the same paper).
My note above on “paragraphs” is a spoof.
However, the spoof is on me.
You are a trusting person that what is written is truth.
For that I am grateful. Forgive me for denting the trust you have, with my spoof above.
It is a request for paragraphs from you.
The eloquence and charm that you draw out of penmanship cannot be recalled in a single paragraph of expression. But a single paragraph it is.
The very best of music has a “rest”, a moment of catching up with all that is being taken in.
The very best of meals has sorbet, a break between courses to cleanse the palate, and enjoy the burst of pleasure about to come next, to its fullest.
The Bible we speak of, has 67 books within. Each is divided further into chapters, and again, divided into verses.
Each of our days have a specific cadence, yet we break for meals, work, family, relaxation, hobbies, and contemplate the sunset. We artfully craft each moment of our lives.
Imagine a song with no stop, no break, no moment to contemplate what is being planted in our hearts!
Imagine a meal of ONE gulp!
Imagine a Bible with no books, chapters, or verses! Just a beginning, and an end; an Alpha and an Omega!
What you are crafting from your memory, heart, and soul require moments of digesting, as surely as the finest meal.
The legacy you craft requires paragraphs so that we may recall morsels one at a time.
I may be biased since I was raised not too far from where you write desciptions of my past. I read everything you write.
Last fall, I drove my Alzheimer mom down to the foot of Liberty and pulled over. It was one of two spots, in all of Erie, that we drove all day where mom chatted the years of her life the most.
I love to do photography. I took a picture of the chains in link at Liberty St. walkway. It was an unexpected serendipity as I had never seen the walkway. They are an unusual assortment of links. I positioned myself directly above and pulled my toes back to get a picture at 90 degrees without my toes in the edge. I really do not need the camera to recall the shot. For the view went through the lens, into my eyes, into my brain and settled into a ready-access chamber of memorable moments.
God looks down from above and that is the angle of His view. Each chain is unique, but linked.
As I can recall the scene at the walkway, I want to recall the scene of your reminiscence. I cannot, for it is a sole paragraph. Keep the unique chain of words you draw from memory so well, but link them with a rest, a paragraph, that we may savor the pleasure of the next paragraph to the fullest.
Even the word to describe a trip down memory lane with you can be easily recalled when broken down, instead of chewed whole. Reminiscence is nothing more than three small parts: “recall”, “mini”, “scence”, a re-mini-scence.
Time for coffee and pie.
Consider the paragraph, Daria and have a great day!
Best regards,
Danny Lucas
Did anyone else even read Danny’s comment?
I wish that more people would take your advice. i just can’t seem to focus on a paragraph that is more than 7-10 lines long, even if the topic interesting.
Not knowing HTML is a poor excuse too. The enter key gets the job done just fine.
Sometimes, not even pressing “enter” is enough.
.
I often have a “PS” on my blog posts which will run in a smaller typeface. For those, I just can’t get enough white space. So I create an extra paragraph which consists of nothing but a period.
.
This, is the extreme form of paragraphing, and should probably be practiced by professional stunt bloggers only. Do not try this at home.
Amen and amen.
Long paragraphs on paper are easier to handle. I wonder why?
Let’s not forget Paul, who not only wrote long paragraphs, but sentences as long as paragraphs.
I couldn’t agree more – that’s certainly one of the reasons I love 22 words so much. There are several blogs that I enjoy reading, but have removed several subscriptions due to their excessive length.
I’m definitely against lengthy blog posts, can’t tell you how many tl;dr’s (too long; didn’t read) I have because people go on and on and on…and on. How about some brevity people. And don’t get me started on lengthy comments!
Danny, your reply to Daria is one of the most eloquent things I’ve ever read on the subject of good writing. Your analogies are perfect. May I please quote you in my blog?
Dear Kimberley,
You are free and welcome to quote my comment here, in your blog.
I wrote the comment, pasted it in the 22 Words dialog as it was relevant. The following comment said this:
Jennifer S says: January 6, 2009 at 8:24 pm
Did anyone else even read Danny’s comment?
My heart sank at such simplistic dismissal.
But months went by and fertile minds DID read my thoughts, and found the merit that Jennifer so blithely dismissed.
In cleaning out long ago writings in my laptop today, I was going to delete this post and comments. However, your response/request shows me what I have long felt about internet writing. Cream rises to the top.
I pray your use of my words will elevate them to new heights in expression and eloquence.
Thank you for taking the time to read, digest the thought within, and glean pertinent value, just as a mountain of coal must be moved to find a diamond.
I will peek at your blog to see what becomes of it.
God bless you abundantly.
Danny Lucas
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