Tag: isolated sentence

What makes a standout sentence to you? Studying works you love can help you focus on writing great sentences that make an impact on your story and your readers.

A great way to transmit interesting ideas is through the contrast of two very different things, i.e. a juxtaposition. Contrast is one of the most powerful elements in storytelling and works just as well in a single sentence.

There’s this cult of the opening sentence, as if crafting a perfect first line is the key to writing a best-selling novel. Here's my take: it isn't.

“Never open a book with weather. If it's only to create atmosphere, and not a character's reaction to the weather, you don't want to go on too long. The reader is apt to leaf ahead looking for people." —Elmore Leonard

Browsing book samples refines your knowledge and can give you a way to measure your own writing. How does your book's opening compare to the classics?

Do a slow read of your writing. Have you chosen your words well? Is your mind jumping ahead because the text is perfected or because you could cut it and lose nothing? If you don't want to read those words, will anyone else?

Open a book you love to a random page and read one sentence. Can you hear the author's voice? Does it evoke an emotion? Does it draw you in? Now open your own work. How does it fare?