by Carol Gioia

Created on: August 20, 2009   Last Updated: August 21, 2009

When attempting to communicate an idea in writing, while focusing on what you are trying to convey, it is easy to overlook creating paragraphs. The finished result is one huge block of printed material which might be difficult to read.

Sometimes you do divide your writing into paragraphs, only to find that the formatting gets skewed during transmission to the Helium writing screen.

Either scenario requires a remedy to present your writing in its best possible form.

Writing on the internet is best presented in short paragraphs of four or five lines. Creating white space between paragraphs will enhance readability and allow the reader to better understand your point of view.

There is no hard, fast rule for where to end a paragraph. Though your goal is four or five sentences, the paragraph has to make sense. A complete thought should be in one paragraph. As soon as you begin a new thought or subject, double space and begin a new paragraph.

Transferring an article to the Helium writing screen sometimes inadvertently scrambles your intended formatting. In order to ensure your article contains paragraph breaks, take the following precautions:

* To begin a new paragraph, hit enter twice on your word processor, in order to create a double space.

* Do not indent, as this will skew the formatting when you translate your article to the Helium writing screen.

* The content in each new paragraph should logically follow the content in the previous one, and each paragraph should have a double-space between the previous and the following paragraphs.

* When you have completed your article, look over the formatting to discern if you have divided your information into suitable short paragraphs before submitting on Helium.

* If you are satisfied that your article is formatted correctly, with short paragraphs and enough white space, save it in plain text, to ensure it will remain formatted when you copy and paste it to the Helium writing screen.

* It is not advisable to write directly to the Helium writing screen, as the formatting will become skewed once you hit the submit button. Write your article on your computer word processor, double spacing between paragraphs, saving it in plain text, and copying and pasting it to the writing screen for best results.

* After copying and pasting your article, immediately edit and make any corrections necessary to retain your original formatting before hitting the submit button.

* After your article is accepted and live on Helium, read it over once again. Ensure there are no errors in formatting. If there are changes to be made, despite all your efforts, immediately leapfrog and correct.

A fastidious approach to formatting in short paragraphs, editing and revising when necessary, will enhance ease of reading and rating potential.

One of the initial criteria raters look for is shorter paragraphs with adequate white space, as opposed to one huge block of print. Creating short paragraphs with double spacing in between will garner you a higher rank for a well-written article.

Presentation is important in everything we do in life, and this is never truer than when submitting articles to Helium. A poorly presented article will be discounted before even being read.

Attention to the details of creating shorter paragraphs, with double spacing in between, will ensure your articles not only get read, but get highly rated.

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