Writing Tip: Vary...your sentence...structure...
- Print
- 4/5/2010 |
- 10:00 am
Remember, one of your primary obligations as a writer is to keep your reader from getting bored. You want them to turn the page! Here are a few thoughts on one way to accomplish that, and it's probably something you've never considered...
One of the sins that a writer will commit involves sentence structure. What does that mean? In this case, it's all about the meter, or cadence.
Imagine this: You're reading a story that's fairly interesting, where the plot and characters are pretty good, and you're wondering how it will turn out. Then, something goes wrong. You get tired. You find yourself reading the same sentences over and over, because you're not really grasping what they're saying. You begin to skim.
Been there? Ever wondered why?
Often it's because the writer has become too lazy with the sentence structure in the story. Every sentence is the same length, with the same basic adjective/noun/verb/adverb order and flow. You, as a reader, almost become lulled to sleep. The cadence of the story becomes like this:
duh-DUH-duh-duh-duh-DUH. duh-DUH-duh-duh-duh-DUH. duh-DUH-duh-duh-duh-DUH.
Stop that. When you write, find ways to mix things up. Sprinkle in a long, flowing narrative sentence, with a shorter, more action-oriented sentence. Here's an example that I'll just make up as I go along.
The car came to a slow stop, several feet short of the stop light. She was aware that the light was green, yet she couldn't bring herself to drive through. Not tonight. Not after what she had just heard. In fact, with the way her mind was racing, she was in no mood to be driving at all. Why not just pull to the side of the road, put the car in park, then get out and run? Yes, run. It would be so easy.
That's a quick and easy example of staggering your rhythm. It doesn't seem like much, but, believe me, your readers will appreciate it...even if they don't know why!
