Paragraphs

If the thought and action are related, they can be in the same paragraph, and probably should.

Think about the pacing - try reading it aloud.

I think what you posted could go either way but, for the record, I would have split it just as you did. Sounds like you're doing just fine!

I'd go along with Cathy. I would have split it the same way you did. In fiction, paragraphs are more about sound and rhythm than about formal rules.

Diviner, I think you've broken in the right place. The "pause" between paragraphs represents a passage of time during which John makes a decision. First paragraph: his thoughts; unsettled; a minor cliffhanger: what will he do? Inhale. Blank space: we wait and watch; tension. Hold breath. Second paragraph: resolution. Exhale.

An incidental question: what kind of setting is this that accommodates both a John and an Og?

I also vote for the split as you have it.

Beth

Diviner said:

Is it the emotional context, the intensity and importance of the ideas that determine the breaks?

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I'd say it's what experience you're setting the reader up to have. In the John/knife example, it's an emotional experience. (John's in a bind. What will he do?) Elsewhere, it might be an intellectual experience like what readers of essays have, as touched on in your first post.

Disclaimer: I Am Not a Novelist.

Og is a nickname for Olgilvy.

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I'm relieved to hear that. I pictured him as a Neanderthal.

"The only "training" I've ever had on that was high school where I learned the topic sentence-developing details-conclusion style. This is almost worthless for fiction"
- funnily, schools give a pretty good training on grammar. But kids needa pay attn rathr thn txtn in cl'***.
- funnily further, the sample paragraphs you posted do quite precisely follow that topic-developing-conslusion style, albeit without you being unconscious about it. See Example.

" because a conclusion restates what you have just shown."
- no it doesn't 'restate', it 'concludes' which is different.

" but uses a lot of paper."
- and the connection between good writing and paper usage is... ?

The Example:

"Should he refuse the knife?" - topic
"It was... " - development (aka expo)
"John did not want to make the same mistake again." - conclusion (aka 'resolution')

"He put away his carving and the tools." - topic
"He would not wait for Og. Instead, he toured the ship yet again, walking as fast as he could" - development
"without endangering others." - conclusion.

"Okay, the difference between the thought and the action is quite clear. Do they need to be separated or could they both be stuffed into the same paragraph?"
-line breaks (the paragraph formation) are regulated first of all by grammar. Apart from that, you can optionally use a thing called rhetorics, which comes in handy when you want to make impression not only by what you say but also by the way you say it. This is where 'pace' and 'rhythm' come in.

Don't be afraid of short paragraphs. They're easier to read. Also, they make the read quicker (use longer paragaphs if you want to slow the action down I suppose). But as a reader I like when it's easy to follow. I also like to be able to turn pages and feel like I'm getting somewhere. So at least personally, I'm a big fan of short paragraphs...