Tidy your room: how to lay out paragraphs

‘An untidy room is a sign of an untidy mind.’ And so it is with the way you set out your written information on a page. Badly laid out text gives the impression that you aren’t clear on what you’re writing about. 

Preventing this appearance primarily involves paragraph breaks. Nevertheless, you’d be surprised how many people just start a new section of text on a mere whim.

Knowing exactly why you’re creating a break is equally vital, not only for the structural element of the writing process and helping to organise your thoughts, but also for presenting the writing visually on the page. Otherwise your copy could be daunting for a reader. After all, no one likes a solid wall of text.

The key is to use a paragraph to make one clear point.

And then move on…

Tips and tricks

• Vary the length of paragraphs
  There are no hard and fast rules about the right length of a paragraph. However, several short paragraphs in a row can be just as off-putting as one excessively long block of text. You need to vary the size to fit the natural rhythm of your writing.
• Focus: one point per paragraph
  An important thing to remember is that each paragraph should just make one point and make it well. If a paragraph goes on for too long then the point needs to be broken down into its components and laid out accordingly on the page.
• Start with a topic sentence
  Make the point of the paragraph visible early on. This is especially valuable when writing for scan readers or writing for the web.
• Get the right order
  Group paragraphs which discuss similar ideas together. And don’t forget to check that they’re ordered within a structure that will make sense to a reader.
• Review, review, review
  Ask yourself: does the paragraph make its point? Is it suitable for scan readers? Does it work within the larger piece of writing? Is it a suitable length? If you can answer yes to all of the questions above, then hit return, and move on.