Don’t Just Write Words, Write Music
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 sure 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, it 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.
-Roy Clark, Writing Tools.
Matt Perman pointed me to this quote.
Writers, don’t just write words. Write music. Make your writing sing.
That’s true! Sentence variation, in both length and structure, is very important, and it pleases readers.
That’s a good book. Lots of music, I mean writing exercises. :)