Paragraphing For Tension

Just as length can affect tone, so can other writing skills, one of which being the way in which you use your paragraphs. In typical (or in other words boring) writing, paragraphs are used to separate single points from each other, so every time your focus switches you begin a new paragraph. This makes it clearer to the reader what you're talking about and emphasizes your transitions. However, this doesn't exactly apply to modern fiction writing. Don't get me wrong, that is how most authors still typically use paragraphs; to show a change of focus, change of perspective, new event, or beginning of dialogue. But the paragraph is so much more useful than that! The most common use of the paragraph is to emphasize and create drama in a scene, typically at the climax. Indenting right before the action can help create loads of tension for the reader. If you remember my length and tone post, it goes hand in hand with that. Using short sentences can create tension, but adding an indent right before that just acts as a booster to the effect of the shortened sentence. It'll make that one word sentence pop out to the reader, putting a huge amount of emphasis on whatever you have it be.

"The tension in the air was almost as palpable as the fear in that moment. The soldiers had a quiet disposition, an eerie stillness mixed with jittery, uncontrollable sense of impending death. Silent prayers were mouthed, loved ones were remembered, and old sins were confessed on that hill, in that trench. The screams from the woods below drowned out all of the soundless last thoughts, and then they appeared.

Grey was the largest color they saw, swarms and swarms of grey. Like a cold porridge mixed with the hard steel of bayonets and bullets. The sound was what reached inside you and squeezed your heart, wrenching any bravery right out and filling it, no, flooding it with terror. It was the scream of dead men as well as the shout of resilient, defiant men. All that, but the captain held, and as long as the captain held, then so did the infantry. Closer and closer the rebels came, charging up the hill, bullets flying over the heads of the entrenched. The captain raised his sword, the mob of men now only one hundred yards away. Closer and closer they came, fifty yards away, forty. The captain brought down his sword.

'Fire!'"

Here's an example of building up tension and then using the paragraphing strategy to create drama and initiate the climax. Notice how the words seem to change throughout the passage as well, not only becoming more straight forward but shortening in sentence length, like I said, adding to the emphasis on the one word paragraph. Although this is about as effective as it gets when it comes to building tension, I should say that it should be something you use rarely. Use it too often and it'll lose its effect, or even appear corny to the audience. I hope you learned something though guys, and I'll talk to you later, peace!

-Ink