How do your sentences march?
Succinct?
Cool waves of sentiments that soothe the reader into knowing what your MC is thinking, nothing alarming, but relaxing crests of foam?
Confusing strings that lead you along without breath--making you believe that something is around the corner that will lunge out at you at any moment without any show of mercy so you can not take a single breath in between?
Short and choppy? What? Is it in the dark? Is it waiting? Waiting to . . . eat you?
Or
Does it lack any type of rhythm, making it a tongue tripper--maybe--for the reader so he or she has to pause, reread, and think about how it was meant to be read, because of how it didn't sound right. No wait, maybe, no, never mind. I got lost. ;)
How do you accent your sentences?
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14 comments:
Wow that was really hard to read!!! I like to read my work out loud to make sure it flows. And isn't choppy. Unless the scene calls for it.
Whole lotta C going on here. :) I have cuneiform (Sumerian) as my C word today, just for you.
Hey Elizabeth ~~ such a lovely word ~ it has an aural appeal ...
Dropping by from A~Z Challenge !
~MICHELLE~
http://writer-in-transit.co.za/category/other/rambles-rants-and-raves/
I'm a total sentence junkie. I can play with the cadence and rhythm of the words forever.
Hi Elizabeth,
Enjoyed this post. Made me realise that, as a reader, we don't often stand back and think 'hmm, good cadence here,' yet it creates pace, tone, tension, largely without the reader actually being aware of it (if you see what I mean!)
Thanks and all best
Karla
That happens to me a lot. I read a book and then there is a part I don't understand and I go back and reread it again.
I "C" whut u did thar.
How do I accent my cadences? British. Or Midwestern country (otherwise known as "hick.")
But seriously, I read them out loud. Great post!
Great choice for the letter C! Love the drummer. :)
Interesting post about a interesting concept. I tend to think one's cadence is one's unique 'voice' - the indefinable something that is your own personal style.
http://paulamartinromances.blogspot.com
The problem with my sentences are where to put these darned commas! LOL!!
I love your play on the C letter here - exCellent stuff!! Thank you, take care
x
This post is cool. I have to read my work out loud so I know it flows smoothly and I use a variety of sentence lengths to form that rhythm.
It all comes down to the rhythm. If you are out of step the whole piece is wrong. Great post.
Karen, reading out loud is an invaluable thing! :) I do that all the time, too.
Hey, Alex, thanks for visiting. :)
Laura, wow, really? Thank you! :D
Michelle, thank you, I'm glad you like it. Thanks for the invitation, I'm heading over there in a bit! <3
L.G., That's a great thing! I'm glad that you enjoy them.
Karla, so true! A great writer vanishes to the reader. ;)
Murees, oh, me too. Then after a 3rd or 4th, I get it. Bleh. :P
Michael, lol!
Rebecca, thank you! :D
Julie, thank you! :)
Paula, that's true. I do too. *Sigh*
Jennifer, lol! You're so cute, thank you! :D
Melissa, it drives me nuts sometimes, to dismantle my wip that has tons of them in there. But I feel so good that they've been scrutinized.
Ann, So true! Thank you :)
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