Online readers are in a hurry. They want information and they want it yesterday. If they can’t get what they need by quickly scanning an article, they’re going to move on. What does this mean for you as a writer? You need more white space and shorter paragraphs.
More white space and shorter paragraphs make an article easier to skim. They also make it easier for readers to pick up their place in the event that they stop reading.
Let’s make sure we’re all on the same page when it comes to paragraphs and white space.
Paragraph: a block of text that begins on a new line.
White space: the blank parts of a page (everything that isn’t words and pictures).
That’s easy enough to understand. But what about those who prefer longer paragraphs because it allows us to explain a concept in detail instead of only providing “surface level” information? Are you ready for the best news you’ve heard all day? You can have short paragraphs without sacrificing detailed information.
Paragraphs Convey One Idea, Don’t They?
In academic writing, yes. One paragraph conveys an entire idea, along with any supporting evidence the idea needs.
But online writing is not academic writing. While both include a controlling idea supported by relevant information, the structure needs to be different because of the way online readers read (or don’t read).
In online writing, each new bit of supporting evidence and each new point about an idea can be a new paragraph.
Academic Writing
This is a tricky concept to explain, so take a look at the following example:
Even as far back as the first film, Movie-Harry has less potential for unpopularity than Book-Harry. In Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, Harry is a generally well-liked first-year student, mostly because of his fame and his talent on the Quidditch pitch. However, when Harry, Hermione, and Neville lose 150 points for Gryffindor house, Harry goes from being one of the most admired students to “suddenly the most hated. Even Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs turned on him.” For weeks, Harry walks the halls of Hogwarts amidst laughter and ridicule, if the other students speak to him at all. In the Sorcerer’s Stone film, the only reference to this massive loss of Gryffindor points is when Professor McGonagall takes them away. Nothing is shown from the other Gryffindors, let alone the Ravenclaws or Hufflepuffs, to suggest anger or even annoyance over such a devastating blow to their House standing.
That’s a single paragraph written in academic style. Sure, it’s readable, but buckle up because the next passage is going to blow your mind.
Online Writing
Word for word, this passage is identical to the first one:
Even as far back as the first film, Movie-Harry has less potential for unpopularity than Book-Harry.
In Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, Harry is a generally well-liked first-year student, mostly because of his fame and his talent on the Quidditch pitch.
However, when Harry, Hermione, and Neville lose 150 points for Gryffindor house, Harry goes from being one of the most admired students to “suddenly the most hated. Even Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs turned on him.” For weeks, Harry walks the halls of Hogwarts amidst laughter and ridicule, if the other students speak to him at all.
In the Sorcerer’s Stone film, the only reference to this massive loss of Gryffindor points is when Professor McGonagall takes them away. Nothing is shown from the other Gryffindors, let alone the Ravenclaws or Hufflepuffs, to suggest anger or even annoyance over such a devastating blow to their House standing.
The only difference is the paragraph size, which makes this version much easier to read and, more importantly, to skim.
At the End of the Day
Online writing is about getting people what they want in the most efficient way possible. If readers have to work too hard to find what they need, they won’t give your content a second glance.
Short paragraphs are a great way to help your key points stand out to the reader. They’re even more effective if you set them off with headings and appropriate formatting.
2 Comments
That makes perfect sense! I particularly like that you used an actually literary paragraph to emphasis the point you were trying to make. It is possible to get all of your information to the reader using short, concise paragraphs that are just a few sentences long.
[…] adequately sized paragraphs has been mentioned here before. But what about other tactics? There are several available through the rich-text editor. […]