I haven’t done this in a while, probably because I’ve had reader’s block. Have you ever had that? It’s especially bad when you have books to review. Woe, woe is me. 🙁

Anyway, I hope it’s over as I’ve read two really lovely novels in a row, so I say: onwards!

Writing Reader Observation #6–Sentence Variety

Raise your hand if you know what I’m talking about.

Okay, you in the first row. What do I mean when I say: sentence variety?

“Er, writing sentences that aren’t all the same length?”

Bingo! Why is that a good thing?

“Because writing sentences in the same length can be boring and make it either too choppy or hard for the reader.”

Hard for the reader? Are you kidding? That takes moxie to say that. Are you saying our readers are stupid?

“Not at all. But, continuously using overly long sentences can bore the reader and make the book hard work to get through rather than entertaining.”

Right on! Entertaining is what every writer wants ultimately (hopefully).

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Yes, recently I read a book that utilized the overly long sentence scenario. The vocabulary was good, but the sentence length was like, well, a death sentence (ha).

As you’re writing, long sentences may sound smart, but ultimately you will lose your reader. Or your reader will put your book down and maybe pick it back up. They won’t want to finish it all at once.

How do you know if you’re book is a success? If your reader says they never wanted to put it down.

Look at some of your favorite books and note the variety of sentences. I can guarantee they will vary in length.

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Looking for more information?

Here are some links across the interwebz:

Varying Sentence Structure

English Club: Sentence Variety

How To Develop Sentence Rhythm

Scholarly Voice: Varying Sentence Structure