Section Dividers — Shaping the Reading Experience by node

Section dividers are the visual breaks between parts of your writing. A blank line, a row of asterisks, an ornamental rule — these change how the reader experiences the transition.

## When to use a section divider

**Time jumps.** The scene ends on Tuesday evening. The next scene is Thursday morning. A divider signals the gap. Without it, the reader assumes continuity and gets confused when the time has changed.

**Point of view shifts.** You're in one character's head and you need to move to another's. The divider gives the reader a beat to adjust. Shifting POV within a continuous paragraph is disorienting.

**Tone changes.** The scene was tense. The next section is reflective. The divider provides a buffer — a moment of silence between the tension and the calm.

**Structural rhythm.** Some stories use regular dividers to create a rhythmic reading experience. Vignettes. Numbered sections. Fragments that accumulate into a whole. The dividers are part of the form.

## When not to use one

Don't use dividers within a continuous scene. If time, place, and perspective haven't changed, a paragraph break is enough. Over-dividing fragments the narrative and prevents the reader from settling into the flow.

## Divider styles in CivNode

The editor offers several divider styles. Each one has a different visual character:

- **Blank space** — the subtlest option. Just extra white space. Good for small shifts. - **Three asterisks (⁂)** — the classic section break. Neutral, recognizable, doesn't call attention to itself. - **Horizontal rule** — a stronger visual break. Good for major shifts. - **Ornamental dividers** — decorative elements that match your CivPage's visual theme. These add character but can distract if overused.

## How different styles affect reading

A blank space says: brief pause, same world, slightly different moment. Asterisks say: clear break, something has changed, recalibrate. A horizontal rule says: major transition, this is a different...