The Long and Short of It
I found a wonderful example of the purpose for varying sentences in our prose…the rhythm and pace of a passage that quickens, relaxes, engages, and quickens again. I have the example from Roy Peter Clark’s Writing Tools: 50 Essential Strategies for Every Writer. The example itself came from 100 Ways to Improve Your Writing, by Gary Provost. (Disclosure: no current affiliate accounts, links are to B&N) Mr. Clark quotes the example in his chapter on special effects. Did you know that sentence length is a special effect?
Here’s the example, and it works so much better than any metaphor or explanation:
This sentence has five words. Here are five more words. Five-word sentences are fine. But several together become monotonous. Listen to what is happening. The writing is getting boring. The sound of it drones. It’s like a stuck record. The ear demands some variety. Now listen, I vary the sentence length, and I create music. Music. The writing sings. It has a pleasant rhythm, a lilt, a harmony. I use short sentences. And I use sentences of medium length. And sometimes, when I am certain the reader is rested, I will engage him with a sentence of considerable length, a sentence that burns with energy and builds with all the impetus of a crescendo, the roll of the drums, the crash of the cymbals–sounds that say listen to this, this is important.
So write with a combination of short, medium, and long sentences. Create a sound that pleases the reader’s ear. Don’t just write words. Write music.
Neat, huh? I guess that’s why writers read their prose out loud.
Excellent example! Thank you for sharing that. Sometimes I get really paranoid about the lengths of my sentences when writing fiction. Reading my work out loud, however, really does improve the quality of my prose.
FARK that is impressive!
I thought it was pretty cool.
Love this post – thank you!