One-sentence paragraphs are common when short pieces of dialog are being exchanged, but consider the effect of serial one-sentence paragraphs in other contexts. The following excerpt from The Blue Monk describes an ocean crossing in a small wooden boat:
The narrative reflects on the passage of time at sea. Though it could have been written as a single paragraph, consider how isolating each thought affects the pacing. This is a marriage of prose and poetry, designed to be “read aloud” in your head. Pause at each comma. Stop at the end of each sentence. Let the words ring.
And consistent single-sentence paragraphs are not a strict requirement. This is writing, not math.
Have you ever taken a photograph of a sunset? The resulting image inevitably fails to capture the glory of the scene; a sunset cannot be put in a frame. Sometimes, effective writing requires the author to create a detailed portrait, but “paint by numbers” also works. Your reader has seen sunsets before, experienced cold, and sat near a fire. Why not offer clues to help your reader construct his own picture from his own memories?
Short, single-line paragraphs mimic the experiencing mind. Experience, in its pure form, transcends words. More words might convey the author's picture of an experience at the expense of the reader's. Why place your reader in your head when you can pull her into your scene?
As they say, “the devil is in the details.”
So get rid of the details.
Write succinctly and seriously.
One-sentence paragraphs cue your reader to stop and reflect.
Of course, Victorian verbosity is as valid a writing style as postmodernist minimalism. Good writing comes from choosing the right style for a particular passage, and not from any formulaic approach. The one-sentence paragraph is one technique among many—another color in the capable writer's palette.
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