: Re: When to start a new paragraph and when to start a new "scene" This is an extract of a short story I'm writing. Sometimes I get confused about when to start a new paragraph and when to start

@Courtney562

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Your question is unclear, unless you are using a typographical convention in your story you aren't using in the question.

You ask when you should use a new paragraph and when you should start a new scene. A new scene always begins a new paragraph. A new scene begins either in a different place, a different time, or perhaps from a different point of view. This usually requires a new paragraph that defines the change in location, time, or viewpoint. Defining that change clearly, without excessive words, and without boring the reader is part of your writing style.

Some writers use a convention when making major shifts, such as a label with date, time, and location, perhaps also adding the narrator's name. Some use a graphic between paragraphs. Some simple flow from one paragraph to the next, shifting the scene as they go.

The key is that readers need not guess about the mechanism you use to tell the story. When the scene changes, show it. Maybe even tell it. Make the package simple, and enclose your beautiful, complex story within it.

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