Sentence Length is Important

 

You might think today's photo is a bit strange. Two pencils, one long and one short. But, there is a point in my selecting this photo as today's topic is about the length of sentences when you write. 

Are you frowning? Thinking I've gone over the edge? Laughing? Wondering? 

In the mechanics end of our writing life, the length of sentences is important. I was once in a writing group online with a group of men and women. One man wrote the longest sentences I have ever seen. Each one stretched on and on, using clauses and phrases, and conjunctions until the reader's head was swimming. At the end of each of those sentences (which followed in succession), I wanted to say "Whoa! Slow down." The rest of the group gave him a hard time about those long sentences, but he had a hard time breaking himself of the habit.

One way to test your sentence length is to read your work aloud. If you find yourself having to stop to take a breath in the middle of a sentence, it is probably too long. 

When a sentence stretches way out, the original thought can sometimes be lost. In a short sentence, the idea can't be missed. It's right there in front of you. Add a whole lot of other words, and your original intent can be covered up. 

Am I saying you should write only short sentences? No. A whole story or essay with nothing but very short sentences would also end up being boring. You'd have few to no adjectives which enhance a sentence and deliver an image to the reader. 

What you should strive for is a balance of long, but not exceedingly long, and short sentences. Intersperse them. Follow a long sentence with a short one. Not in a total pattern, but as a general overall rule. Sure, you can have two longer sentences back to back, but then pop in a shorter one. Look for a balance. 

Using both long and short sentences will allow you to engage your reader in a better manner. Using a plethora of overly long sentences can end up irritating the reader, and we all know we don't want to do that, certainly not on a regular basis, nor do we want to drag things out and lose our original thought. The preceding sentence was more than 40 words long. Read it out loud. How did it sound to you? The standard recommendation is to keep sentences to 30 words or less. No, I am not suggesting you count the words in your sentence. You'll know when it looks overly long.

How can you shorten those extra long sentences? If you have used conjunctions like and, but, or, nor, divide the long sentence into two. Easily done. Where you have a comma and a word like 'and,' put a period. Then drop the 'and' and capitalize the next word to begin a new sentence. Cut phrases or clauses that don't add to your main idea in the sentence. Sometimes, they're merely fluff. 

What about short sentences that are actually fragments, not a complete sentence? Such as: Sure, why not? No way! They are alright to use now and then. Especially in dialogue as we often speak that way. Use them, but don't overdo it. 

As already stated, the key to sentences in writing is balance. Short and long, but not overly long--that will give a better overall picture of what you are trying to tell your reader. You need not make a pattern of short, then long, then short, then... You can have two long sentences, then a short one, three long sentences, then a short one. There is no absolute right or wrong as to how many or where they are placed. Some of each will be a big help to your reader.