I'm sure this is a dumb question, but are we still expected to indent text in a short story or only speech? I don't think people bother on letters anymore or am I wrong. Help!
Kat

I think the most important thing is consistency. Don't, for paragraphing purposes, use a space between lines sometimes and indentation at others.

If you are using indentation to indicate new paragraphs, remember that the very first paragraph of your text, the opening one, should not be indented, it should be up against the margin.

I tend to think that if you're using single spacing for your basic format, as in, say, in a letter or a report, then leaving a line space to show paragraphs looks better. But if you're submitting a ms and therefore using double spacing, then indenting is a better way to show new paragraphs.

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Of course, you can use spaces on the page to indicate new scenes - just to complicate matters.

Yes, I'd agree with Lammi - if it's double spacing on a ms, then you need to indent paragraphs because doing a double line-space every time just looks daft (and you might need it for longer time-gaps). In single spacing such as letters, I was taught that either you did 'block' style, with no indent and paras separated with an extra line (and a host of other stuff about punctuation and layout which I've forgotten) or you did 'indented' which is what it says - indented, and no line between paras.

Emma

Lammi and EmmaD,
Thank you for taking the time to clear up that point for me.
Kat