Does your writing sing?

Writing is not just about grammar and spelling. It’s not just about ideas and twists and cliff-hangers. It’s not just about believable characters, well-constructed plots and vivid descriptions. And it’s not just about research, fact-checking or accurate quotes. I mean it is about those things, it’s about all those things. But also, and this is something I personally think is very important…

Writing is about rhythm.

A good piece of writing should flow. It can change tempo, just as music can. It can speed up, faster and faster, or slow right down to an almost crawl. Feel free to use short, punchy bits. They keep your readers on their toes. But all these parts must link together in their own perfectly composed symphony of words. Mix it up too much, and your readers will stumble, trip, and may even give up entirely.

Think of it like this. You’re out for a run (yeah I know, me neither, but use your imagination) and as you plod along trying to get into a rhythm, distractions such as cars/cows/dogs/planes (delete as appropriate) prevent you from getting ‘in the zone’.

‘I know,’ you think. ‘I’ll listen to some music.’

So the next time you go out, you stick your headphones on. Only you can’t decide what song to listen to. You keep skipping from song to song and eventually you are so distracted and unfocused you stop running completely.

‘I know,’ you think. ‘Next time I’ll choose what to listen to before I set off.’

On the third run (props for perseverance by the way), you have cued up your favourite album and you’re confident this will be your Mo Farah moment. But as the album plays there are upbeat songs and slower more melodic songs, so just as you get into a decent rhythm the pace changes and you are all over the place again.

‘I’ve got it,’ you think. ‘I’ll make a playlist.’

You begin with some slower songs, ramp it up for a faster mid-section and then slow it back down again to finish. When you head out this time your brain responds, your muscles respond and finally you have the run you hoped for.

And so it is in writing. Your pace changes need to be planned and well-executed. Your sentences need to flow smoothly. Take your readers on a journey – whether it’s discovering fictional worlds, listening to opinions or exploring new ideas – but make sure they’re comfortable enough to stay on the path.

Punctuation, sentence length, speech, paragraphs and syllables. 

These are all tools you can use to create rhythmic writing. They are your beats, your melodies, your rhythms. If you need to heighten tension, you write shorter, snappier sentences. In contrast, if you want a calm atmosphere, you need long soothing sentences with plenty of emotive prose. Get into the habit of reading your writing out loud. It’s here you will discover any jarring parts or words that just don’t fit. If you read in your head, especially when you have read something several times, you will find your brain makes adjustments mentally without you even noticing. I’m a huge fan of the simple comma. If you take a breath or pause, add a comma. And when you read a sentence, if it feels unfinished or clunky, you may need to add or remove a word to get that rhythm right.

Here’s an example: 

1. When writing anything, whether it’s fiction, poetry, business writing or even a blog, getting the right rhythm is important.
2. When writing anything, whether it’s fiction, poetry, business writing or even a blog, getting the right rhythm is what makes your writing sing. 

It’s a few extra words, but it makes all the difference doesn’t it? It completes the sentence and doesn’t finish abruptly. If your writing is easy to read, your readers will hang around. But if they are repeatedly stopping and stumbling over awkward punctuation and complex sentences, they’ll give up quickly. Take your time to polish and tune your work and they’ll run with you all the way to the end.

Ruth x