Quote:
Originally Posted by shalym
The only ones in this list I agree with are the first and the last. The rest is all personal preference. Why should an ebook follow the same rules as paper books? Because it was always done that way? If we only did what we've always done we wouldn't even be having this discussion because we would be reading on stone tablets.
Shari
|
Because non-indented first paragraphs with the following paragraphs indented, with no line spaces except between scenes is the most efficient way to present long-form fiction.
It can be changed, especially for things like large print books, but for the most part it's the default because it's the most efficient. eBooks follow the same rules as print books in having page breaks between chapters and reading from left to right (or right to left in some languages) because it is generally the easiest and most effective way to do it.
Sometimes the same question has the same answer, whether it's provided in print or electronic form.
I'm not saying that you have to follow the standard, I usually put in asterisks as scene breaks myself, just because some people do use block paragraphs. I'm simply saying that sometimes people follow the rules that were derived for paper because they make sense regardless of format.