Crafting Artful Sentences

Sentences are more than just getting from one end of a string of words to the other end.  They are conveyors of rhythm and pacing and emphasis.  In other words, they are an artful expression of language much like other art forms such as music and painting and dance.  The challenge for all writers is to craft sentences that convey their message in the most effective way. This requires both skill and art.  The art of sentence crafting grows with time and experience, but there are some basic techniques writers of any level can use to create more artful sentences.

• Maximize flow:  You want your prose to flow seamlessly so that readers can read it without effort.  This requires sentences that do not bump into each other awkwardly, but rather lead into each other clearly and logically.  Look for words that can connect the thoughts of one sentence to the thoughts of the sentence that follows it.  These are key words that connect the flow of thoughts so that readers made the logical connections you want them to make. Typically, key words reflect your main ideas or themes.  Also, look for leader words that help you lead readers into the next sentence.  They may be introductory words such as "therefore," "nevertheless," "consequently," etc.  They may be phrases such as "the next item," "as a result," "for the time being," etc.  Your goal is to make your progression of thought as easy for readers to follow as possible.

• Emphasize key ideas:  You want readers to notice and understand your key message.  Sentence crafting can help you bring emphasis to those key ideas.  Long sentences invite readers to enter into a longer engagement with your idea, to pause and consider it further. They also help smooth out your prose so it doesn't sound choppy and stilted.  Short sentences bring immediate attention to key ideas.  Several short sentences in a row can draw attention to an idea much like a pounding hammer or a staccato rhythm in music. A mixture of short and long sentences can add rhythm and pacing to your writing so that it rolls off the ear much like a well-composed piece of music.  Your goal is to vary sentence length for maximum effect and use it to help readers pay attention to your key ideas.

• Maintain reader interest:  You want readers to keep reading, to pay attention to your ideas, to engage with your thoughts, and to enjoy the process.  You can do this by writing sentences that are creative, unique and strong.  Stay away from passive language.  Use strong verbs.  Use unique adjectives, not trite cliches.  Say directly what you mean without unnecessary or filler words.  And most importantly, try to say things in the most interesting way you can. Look at your word choice.  Consider how you've put words together in a sentence.  Continually ask yourself if there is a better, more interesting way to say it.  Keep at this until you have sentences that excite you when you read them.  If they excite you, they will most likely excite readers.  Your goal is to craft sentences that readers want to read, that pique their interest, that make them sit up and pay attention.                                                                                             

Crafting artful sentences that create flow, emphasis and interest in your writing involves dissecting your prose to find the best way to fully impact readers.  It means being willing to question every word choice, word order, and sentence length.  It means writing and rewriting to fine-tune your sentences for maximum effectiveness.  Most of all, it means writing in such a way that your prose becomes a craft and a work of art that you will enjoy creating and your readers will immensely enjoy reading.