The Art of Sentences

I don’t remember when I first read this excerpt. I just remember that it struck me with awe and wonder. Here is someone wielding the power of language. Here is what it means to capture a reader’s attention and trust. So good.

The legendary Gary Provost, folks:

This sentence has five words. Here are five more words. Five-word sentences are fine. But several together become monotonous. Listen to what is happening. The writing is getting boring. The sound of it drones. It’s like a stuck record. The ear demands some variety.

Now listen. I vary the sentence length, and I create music. Music. The writing sings. It has a pleasant rhythm, a lilt, a harmony. I use short sentences. And I use sentences of medium length. And sometimes, when I am certain the reader is rested, I will engage him with a sentence of considerable length, a sentence that burns with energy and builds with all the impetus of a crescendo, the roll of the drums, the crash of the cymbals–sounds that say listen to this, it is important.

— Gary Provost

👏 I need not say any more. Let’s write melodies!

Comments? Thoughts?