How do you prefer novels to be formatted when you read them?

[Dizwikz]

As someone that posts a novel, I'm wondering if you prefer large word counts vs short word counts, etc, and if formatting plays a part in keeping your interest.

[joannekwan]

For Tapas, most of its readers consume content on mobile devices, so shorter more frequent updates are encouraged. Established authors recommend episodes that are 800 to 1200 words in length with multiple uploads a week (like 2 or 3, or even daily if you can manage it). This works in the algorithm's favor as well and you'll have a higher chance of appearing on trending if you adhere to this.

Now as for formatting, since lots of people read on mobile devices, it's recommended that you break up long paragraphs into shorter ones.

And for my personal standpoint: I'm looking for novels here. If you're writing a story as a script, I will immediately lose interest.

[DasIstWunderblyat]

I beg you use generous spacing, use different line every time a different speaker speaks. If you are writing yours in script format, it is preferable to bold the speaker's name to make it more distinguishable.

Line breaks (or whatever. I don't know what's it called) are also great addition if necessary to separate between scenes, flashback, and time skip.

Especially with longer flashback it is better for my eyes to use line break than italicize the entire paragraphs. Also I feel weird when people do flashback scene with notices such as * Flashback on * and * Flashback off * like damn it is flashback not flashlight no need to turn it on or off.

[Daisy]

i prefer longer word counts in chapters. however, if a writer can successfully convey the story with a short word count, i'd be fine with it. in fact, impressed.

for formatting, i don't like really long paragraphs. also dislike when a writer puts a dialogue in between descriptions. that's all i can think of atm.

[sxxaint]

also dislike when a writer puts a dialogue in between descriptions. that's all i can think of atm.

I have to say, I'm curious what it is about this you don't like? Do you have an example?

[Dizwikz]

I never came across things like that until I read some web novels lol. Also things like (Note: sarcasm).

[Daisy]

oh, i should clarify my statement. i don't like when dialogue is written/placed in the middle of a paragraph like this:

He woke up, vision blurry and a tad bit hungry from skipping dinner last night. "Ah, fuck," he mumbled with his voice hoarse and throat dry. His tummy grumbled. The yearning for food increases but he ignores such calling to sit up on his bed and focus on something else.

also i wrote this, i didn't copy and paste a novel.

[sxxaint]

aaah, i see. I didn't actually realise people had an issue with that. It's something I do often if it's the right flow for the piece of work

edit: although upon looking for an example, I've found I don't actually do this that much. What do you think about if another bit of dialogue by the same speaker cinches up the paragraph?

I'm not tryna be funny about it btw, I'm just curious!

[derekh95]

I always try to make dialogue a paragraph of its own. If I'm going to describe the dialogue in detail, however, I try to make the piece of dialogue go either at the very beginning or very end of its respective chapter. Kinda just easier to read imo

[sxxaint]

for sure, but there's some occasions when it's just far too choppy to split the description off the front or the end and it just happens to be how it works. Especially in back and forth dialogue, you don't want to be breaking up the line-to-line flow with one sentence lines that relate to the dialogue in the previous or latter paragraph, it throws the rhythm off

in retrospect, i actually can't really find any examples of this in my manuscript so i guess i don't actually do it haha

[Daisy]

cinches? i'm not familiar with the word so I can't be certain with what you're saying.

[domisotto]

My personal limit is under 2K per chapter, but on this app, I think around 1K is best.

I understand it’s a comic book site, but I don’t like pictures inside the text, before or after, and small size is okay

Each speaker starts new paragraph, but I am fine when there is a description between two lines of dialogue from the same character in the same paragraph.

Dialogue attribution with simple words OR replaced with a decent description. I prefer not seeing a ‘said, while doing’ or ‘verb+adverb’ often.

Paragraphs that are 3 to 6 sentences long, so it doesn’t look like a packet of spaghetti, but also doesn’t stretch too long.

A balance of description and dialogue.

Since italics are a PITA on this site, I don’t care if there is no italics for thoughts, because people can’t be forced to re-edit every chapter

[sxxaint]

sorry, i just mean ending the paragraph with another bit of dialogue, e.g. I glared out at the moors. "This is the beginning of my dialogue." Tightening my lips, I turned to the author, disdain clear in the sneer curling my lip. "You're too uncreative to actually make me say something?"

[sxxaint]

I'd echo this, although I don't mind pictures because I read on pc rather than app.

[Daisy]

Oh, well. I'm okay with it. I really like your writing style, helps with tolerating the dialogue in the middle of it.

I can tolerate my dislike to a certain degree. I guess my pet peeve stem from the writers that puts a dialogue in the middle of a long paragraph rather than doing the same with the example you have written. And it became a criteria for what kind of novels I pursue on reading from then on.

[sxxaint]

thank you! hahaa

it's actually interesting because im writing some dialogue atm and the more i think about it, the more i realise there's rarely actually a case to do this, so i was, in fact, wrong about this.

sorry for the interrogation haha!

[Daisy]

no problem, really! it's just my preference

[foxnflames]

I don’t mind longer text if the story is engaging. I also don’t mind pictures too much unless they’re too many of they’re in a weird place. I prefer them at the end or in the middle. I also like “broken up” dialogue. Even if the chapter is longer, dialogue being its own paragraph makes it faster and easier to read. The dialogue in the description thing isn’t that bad, unless it’s one big wall of text and multiple people are talking. Then I hate it

[foxnflames]

This I don’t mind because you get to add in some descriptions like their facial expression or movement. I think it makes the dialogue more...visual?

[kmlangleyauthor]

I glared out at the moors. "This is the beginning of my dialogue." Tightening my lips, I turned to the author, disdain clear in the sneer curling my lip. "You're too uncreative to actually make me say something?"

This is a beautiful piece of art

I agree with the main points everyone has been saying. I’m pretty chill when I read, but please separate dialogue from different characters. That’s a pet peeve of mine. I don’t care where dialogue goes in a paragraph as long as there’s proper punctuation, usually.