Hi Nina, as I've grown as a writer I've become a bit more minimalist, have cut adverbs and superfluous adjectives, and followed most of the preordained advice about what constitutes good writing -- though not in this sentence :-). All that said, I love long sweeping sentences when they're excecuted well, particularly if they increase and escalate tension in the context of the story.
I've come to think about using long sentences as "beat changes" throughout a story, to keep the reader on their toes, and to prevent the prose from becoming staid and complacent. I'm curious to hear your opinion on this, and how you incorporate long sentences into your own writing. Thanks for any insight!
I think a beat change is a great way to think about the long sentence, especially if most of the prose leans toward a more minimalistic style. The longer sentence changes the rhythm, and the reader feels it and experiences whatever the longer sentence is creating.
Yes! A consistent thread for most of these posts about sentences is music. Amran's comment makes me think of the whole; which parts of the story or whatever you're writing need a longer beat.
Rick Bass is such a great writer! I am in awe of this sentence. It brings me back to my youth in Fairbanks, Alaska, and the mystery of northern light…and of the Northern Lights!
Hi Nina, as I've grown as a writer I've become a bit more minimalist, have cut adverbs and superfluous adjectives, and followed most of the preordained advice about what constitutes good writing -- though not in this sentence :-). All that said, I love long sweeping sentences when they're excecuted well, particularly if they increase and escalate tension in the context of the story.
I've come to think about using long sentences as "beat changes" throughout a story, to keep the reader on their toes, and to prevent the prose from becoming staid and complacent. I'm curious to hear your opinion on this, and how you incorporate long sentences into your own writing. Thanks for any insight!
I think a beat change is a great way to think about the long sentence, especially if most of the prose leans toward a more minimalistic style. The longer sentence changes the rhythm, and the reader feels it and experiences whatever the longer sentence is creating.
As in music, or dancing!
Yes! A consistent thread for most of these posts about sentences is music. Amran's comment makes me think of the whole; which parts of the story or whatever you're writing need a longer beat.
Rick Bass is such a great writer! I am in awe of this sentence. It brings me back to my youth in Fairbanks, Alaska, and the mystery of northern light…and of the Northern Lights!