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When to Change Paragraphs

These tips are useful for all kinds of writing, but they are especially useful for short story writing.

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When any of the following occur in your writing, you need to start a new paragraph:

  • You introduce a new idea: This applies mainly to essay writing where each main point in support of your argument should have its own paragraph.
  • A new character is introduced: Whenever someone new enters a story or whenever the focus shifts from one character to another, you need to start a new paragraph.
  • You begin to discuss a new event: Whether you are writing a short story or discussing historical events in an essay, each unique situation should have its own paragraph.
  • The setting changes: When writing short stories, you need to start a new paragraph whenever your story moves to a new location.
  • A new person begins speaking: This is essential when you are writing dialogue for a short story. Start a new paragraph whenever the speaker changes even if the previous person only spoke a few words. 
  • Time moves forward or backward a lot: Whenever there is a major time shift in your story or essay, you need to start a new paragraph.
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