tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4543098270794087276.post1425783698612484221..comments2023-09-27T03:56:54.678-05:00Comments on As We Were Saying....: IT'S NOT HOW LONG YOU MAKE IT, IT'S HOW YOU MAKE IT LONGRuby Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01030839859107760855noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4543098270794087276.post-2962318857814990122012-04-29T11:53:31.592-05:002012-04-29T11:53:31.592-05:00I totally agree with you, Jeff. It's not about...I totally agree with you, Jeff. It's not about the size of the dog in the fight, right?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4543098270794087276.post-23476508923340846602012-04-25T18:10:28.616-05:002012-04-25T18:10:28.616-05:00It amazes me that people get so caught up in all t...It amazes me that people get so caught up in all these "rules". Good for you, Jeff, for pointing out that they don't need to.<br /><br />A novel of nothing but short staccato sentences is tedious to read but one with nothing but endlessly undulating sentences can quickly become tiresome.<br /><br />Getting the balance is key and that balance will vary given your style and subject matter and the overall effect you are trying to achieve.<br /><br />There's no doubt that long sentences in the hands of inexperienced writers (and even in the hands of some experienced ones) can become hopelessly convoluted and lose their thread of meaning. Because I record audio books I am acutely aware of that and often think if only the authors had read their work out aloud, they may have realised themselves. But that's not an argument against using them at all.Fionahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10220566257388878518noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4543098270794087276.post-60054743392665061862012-04-25T17:38:41.497-05:002012-04-25T17:38:41.497-05:00I think variety is important in sentence structure...I think variety is important in sentence structure because too much uniformity results in boredom of the reader. But, deciding how and when to vary sentence length is not always easy. Is there a "just right" length for a particular sentence or idea? It really depends on your intended audience and the type of writing you are doing.In my opinion, frequent alternation in sentence length makes for more memorable writing.After one or more "long sentences", a short sentence can deliver just the right punch.Ruby Johnsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01030839859107760855noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4543098270794087276.post-53305659666371829342012-04-25T16:08:12.212-05:002012-04-25T16:08:12.212-05:00It's my opinion that every word in a sentence ...It's my opinion that every word in a sentence and paragraph should move the story forward. If the story dictates a more descriptive paragraph you might want to add some layers. If you want action, write short. Simple as that. You can have both types of sentences. However, no sentence should be so long that it takes up an entire paragraph.Calnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4543098270794087276.post-76689270407311724252012-04-25T14:39:41.572-05:002012-04-25T14:39:41.572-05:00Nothing not to appreciate or learn from in this La...Nothing not to appreciate or learn from in this La lecon de Jeff. I have an inkling some notes were on your fingertips, but likewise lots of research and time went into this post. Thank you for the work putting together another Ace Offering on our blog buffet.<br /><br />...and the photo--brings back memories of the classic Benson and Hedges 100mm cigarette ad campaign, launched long, long before you were properly potty trained.Georgehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00907663730815961099noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4543098270794087276.post-63528281092116896722012-04-25T11:15:42.265-05:002012-04-25T11:15:42.265-05:00The 26-40 words for sentences are good guidelines....The 26-40 words for sentences are good guidelines. They encourage the writer to impart clarity. Have you read sentences where there were so many phrases that you had to pause and take a breath or you had to go back to the beginning of the sentence to try and understand what the author was saying? There should be balance in writing and using both long and short sentences does this. If you want lyrical write long. If you want suspense write short sentences. There's a reason and a place for both. If an editor told me to cut some words from a sentence, I would pay attention. Writing tight is better than being all over the place.Thorne Andersonnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4543098270794087276.post-28196936250957141782012-04-25T07:20:56.251-05:002012-04-25T07:20:56.251-05:00As always, very good stuff sir.As always, very good stuff sir.Jeff Turner www.ilypants.netnoreply@blogger.com