Formatting Matters

[OverThe]

Reading something on a computer screen is more difficult than in print because the light coming from your screen has not refracted off a surface, while the light from a printed page has.

This means that people are less likely to read large blocks of text on screen than they are in a printed page. It is easier to scan pages or let you eyes flick from one area to the next on a computer screen. And moving to a new web page takes a lot less time and energy than turning a printed page.

There are a number of stories here that have a lot of potential, a lot of decent plots and characters and good description and so forth, but their formatting is so bad that I know many people stop reading halfway through. I know that if I open up a story and see large solid blocks of text without spacing, and especially without punctuation and capitalization, I usually hit the 'Back' button right away. Not because I'm a snob, but because I know it will be a pain to read and focus on.

It's very confusing when your whole story is one massive block of text. It's easy for your eyes to get lost, or for the reader to get bored. In a book, people are more forgiving because it takes a lot more work to put down a book, pick up a different one and open it than it does it open a link to a different story.

And as a reader I feel disrespected when an author doesn't take the time to at least try to format their story in a way that makes it easy to read. For example, punctuation is good. Commas go before, "a quote like this."

"When a new character is talking, it should always start a new paragraph."

"Even when it leaves a paragraph as a single line?" you might ask.

"Yes, even if it's just a single word."

"Okay."

White space is the most important idea of formatting. Readers are trained from an early age to use blank space on a page to pace their reading. Paragraphs should be short and direct just like sentence. You can indent new paragraphs, but I prefer a blank line between them because it creates more white space (which allows the eyes to rest briefly) and it is easier to use than that indent function on this site.

If you take the time and energy to write a story, take an extra few minutes at the end to at least break it into paragraphs for your reader. If you need help formatting, please drop me a PM and I'd love to help. It kills me that there are so many good stories that are so hard to read.

[Star Shadows]

I agree completely, I always try to make my formatting as reader friendly as possible, for the exact same reason as you stated, if I am met with a wall of text, unless its something I have to read I usually wont.

[Rachie]

Agree with all that's mentioned. (Hopefully i do most of this) Story Example - Part 1 of: Strip Poker with a Twist the Aftermath

As well as what you have mentioned i also find it easier when:

1) The Story text is different from the rest of the comments, thanks, authors other posts, questions etc. (Colour font, text size, bold, italic etc)

2) To know that the story will continue, or if it's already finished (Some finish abruptly and are uncertain at times)

3) Pictures. Again this breaks up the long lines of text, and gives the eyes a break.

Love Rachie
x x x x

[hood.0272]

I agree that white space is essential for legibilty. Spelling, grammer and punctuation also help.

It's not getting at people for whom english is not their native tongue who generally make an effort, nor do I mind genuine typos, how could i, but some proof reading is essential.