Random Blogging Tip #4: Write short paragraphs

by Metroknow on April 27, 2009

Writing short paragraphs is an art – and for a successful blog, it is a necessity.

When a reader visits a blog for a solution, they are usually visiting specifically because no longterm commitment to the piece they’re reading, or the site they’re visiting, is required. The reader can pop in, skim the contents or search for a keyword or two, and pop out. However, if they arrive at your site and visually see large paragraphs, it signals that there is a greater degree of involvement. It looks like a novel, because it is written like one.

Long paragraphs often make a subject feel more complicated that it actually is. If you have a series of long paragraphs in a piece, it might even be worth asking whether you’re making this feel more complicated than it is for slightly narcissistic reasons. Maybe not, but it couldn’t hurt to ask. :)

For a novel, this rule certainly doesn’t apply (though novelists and narcissists are probably closely related). But for a blog, it’s essential. Your paragraphs don’t need to be artificially short; they should still conform to the basic rules for paragraphs, and they should flow together logically. However, each paragraph should get to the point, discuss the specifics quickly, and move on.

In William Zinser’s book, On Writing Well, with regard to short paragraphs he says:

“Keep your paragraphs short. Writing is visual – it catches the eye before it has a chance to catch the brain. Short paragraphs put an air around  what you write and make it look inviting, whereas a long chunk of type can discourage a reader from even starting to read.”

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