> Starting a paragraph with However doesn't seem right.
If I were to do this, my paragraphs would become at least 3 times as long. Because much of my writing is complex enough that it takes about half a page to make the 'basic argument' and another half a page to explain the exceptions to the basic argument. I would put both half-pages in separate paragraphs. And I do think it makes sense to start the second paragraph with however. It clearly signals to the reader that:
* The previous point is finished (end of previous paragraph)
* Reading this paragraph without having read the previous one doesn't make sense.
I don't think my second point there is bad. The second paragraph deserves to be split from the first to delineate the arguments. It allows the reader time to drop all but the conclusion of the previous paragraph from their mind. But the second paragraph still depends heavily on the first.
> If I were to do this, my paragraphs would become at least 3 times as long. Because much of my writing
I find this jarring to read. That should be a comma, not a period. By using a period, you've technically made your sentence shorter, but the structure is unchanged. Alternatively you could just chop the Because, and it would flow fine. I really doubt your writing is thrice the density of mine. I very rarely encounter writing that approaches sentences this way, authors are able to get by fine without it.
I find it similarly jarring to read the sentences beginning with and, or but. It's as if you've told me the sentence is finished, only to then reopen it. It's like a programming language permitting a && b; && c;
There may be situations where it's ok to do this, but I wouldn't overuse it.
> Alternatively you could just chop the Because, and it would flow fine.
Hmmm, I guess I agree. I am going to try that a lot. In sentence structure I often get the issue of "$Claim, because $justification." This leads to really long sentences that I feel should be split. And again, I want to preserve the link between the two parts. Doing $Claim. $Justification. Feels like I am making an unsubstantiated claim followed by another unrelated claim.
In the programming language I would see this sort of as:
int a = foo(b);
int foo(b){
return 1 + b
}
(Ignoring a forward declaration of foo in some header).
I guess this is similar to my earlier point. Where I want to split the un-related parts but still want to capture the strong relation between the two.
An alternative might be something like.
"We know that $justification. Hence, it follows that $claim."
> Starting a paragraph with However doesn't seem right.
If I were to do this, my paragraphs would become at least 3 times as long. Because much of my writing is complex enough that it takes about half a page to make the 'basic argument' and another half a page to explain the exceptions to the basic argument. I would put both half-pages in separate paragraphs. And I do think it makes sense to start the second paragraph with however. It clearly signals to the reader that:
* The previous point is finished (end of previous paragraph)
* Reading this paragraph without having read the previous one doesn't make sense.
I don't think my second point there is bad. The second paragraph deserves to be split from the first to delineate the arguments. It allows the reader time to drop all but the conclusion of the previous paragraph from their mind. But the second paragraph still depends heavily on the first.