Knob

Sentence rhythm

You might say: sentence variety, flow, cadence

The pattern of long and short sentences. Provost shows that sentences of the same length become monotonous.

What it does

Keeps prose alive to the ear and steers the reader’s speed.

Ask

Read it aloud: where does it drone?

Typical

A mix of short, medium and long sentences

Trouble

Every sentence has the same length and shape.

What to look for

1. Short, medium and long sentences mixed
2. Same-length sentences sounding monotonous

Connections

• See also: Pacing

Sources

1. San José State University Writing Center, Sentence Variety and Rhythm, p. 1Rhythm is how writing sounds and how sentences and ideas are connected.

Use it on your project

teardown-apply: hold "Sentence rhythm" (sentence-rhythm) from the teardown at https://teardownatlas.com/fiction-writing/ against my project

Paste it into a coding agent that has the teardown skills.

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