In a new post, C.S. Lakin examines how writers can harness the power of white space on the page. Why is white space so important? “It’s psychological, mostly. If you look at a page that is so full of writing, it can feel oppressive and daunting,” Lakin writes. “And while some genres tend toward long, wordy paragraphs, one after another, even readers who love that type of writing will find pages of it tedious after a while.”
White space helps readers keep track of where they are on the page. Fewer words on the page creates a sense of faster pace. “Good writing that is snappy and tight and engaging will have readers turning pages, enthralled in what they are reading,” Lakin says.
More importantly, a bit of white space allows the reader to pause and catch her breath. When we read, we pause briefly at the end of each sentence and a bit longer after a paragraph and even longer at the end of a scene, chapter, or major section of a book. We want our readers to respond to and think about what they just read and what they’re feeling in the moment. “When you want to emphasize a moment, a thought, a reaction, or anything else, surrounding it with white space will shine a light on it,” Lakin writes.
Within your sentences, a comma, em dash, or semi-colon will add that pause. You can also control it with paragraph structure. Begin a new paragraph anytime the speaker changes. Keep an individual character’s thoughts, action, and dialogue in one paragraph. Start a new paragraph when you move in place or time. Do this also when the main idea of a paragraph changes. For additional emphasis, set one or two sentences as their own paragraph.
“Just make sure you find a balance—enough white space to keep things readable, but not so much that it feels scattered or empty,” Lakin says.
