Quote:
Originally Posted by GeoffC
Is it me?
sloppy formatting, or
poor writing
But increasingly novels I'm reading take a storyline in one time/place and then suddenly jump next paragraph into another time/place and then back again with no break? Continuity is poor and the new position isn't clearly signposted .... I'm getting too many occasions when I'm thinking, whaye ! what? where? why? how .... !
I'm sure paper books were different - usually with an extra space to break up the paragraphing ... which would suggest sloppy formatting for e-books....
Or am I imagining this ?
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You're right. I'm reading "The Lovely Bones" by Alice Sebold. This story is jumping from place to place and there are no signposts to guide you in what to think. Little icons or page breaks are essential to your thought process', they tell you when it's time for a change in time and action.
Such writing in French is called "décousu", dethreaded. More accurately I'd call it, non linear. With such a style it is imperative to have adequate signposting otherwise the reader has to come back and reread continually. A very frustrating experience. Thus the importance of proper ebook formating.