I Am Getting Sick of One Sentence Paragraphs
Your reader is not a child
The writing advice across the Internet is clear: don’t write long paragraphs. Your mobile readers can’t handle it. When they see a too large a chunk of text, they look away, so you should know your readers have a very short attention span and can’t handle large paragraphs.
As an editor, I see one-sentence paragraphs. I see a lot of one-sentence paragraphs, and eventually, it gets very, very tiring. I actually take it upon myself to merge a paragraph if I see ten consecutive paragraphs that are one sentence. I have seen pieces that are all one-sentence paragraphs, and it’s not a knock on the writing, but my first thought is: really?
Why? The one-sentence paragraphs break flow. One or two one-sentence paragraphs are fine for emphasis, but if every single one of your sentences is a one-sentence paragraph, it gets very frustrating, very quickly. Where’s the connection between the thoughts, the tie between your analysis and evidence?
I teach special needs kids how to read. I teach special needs kids how to write. Of course, a large part of my job manifests itself in getting them to try and make an effort, but a larger part of the job is improving credibility and building their skills wherever they go. “The mother is sad” is a common blanket statement my…
