Blog 12

Good writing is something that you know when you see it. Ultimately, writing comes down to the enjoyment of the reader. A good sentence is one that makes you want to read the next one. Now, what does  make us want to read the next sentence? For me, the key components are momentum, concision, precision, and a vivid image. Good fictional writing puts you in the world of the story, good analytical writing gives you a clear understanding of the subject.

In my opinion, momentum is the singular most important attribute to possess in writing. You build momentum through structure, and structure naturally builds to a conclusion. Nicely structured paragraphs keep an easy thread to follow as well as a thread that we want to see resolved. We also build momentum within paragraphs through sentence structure. Generally, concision builds momentum from sentence to sentence. Nice and snappy sentences lead easily to the next sentence. At the same time, it's good to vary sentence structure so the reader isn't bored, as long as each clause is said in the most concise way possible.

Precision is also key. I know at least that I hate reading things that don't make sense to me. (Quick aside, I'm not referring to things like Paradise Lost where you can unpack layers of meanings - I'm referring to situations where the writer him/herself has not thought through the implications of the sentence). In general, I like things to be presented in a rapidly accessible manner, with as much specificity as possible.

This applies more to fiction than anything else, but being vivid is crucial to good sentences, good paragraphs and good stories. For example, I read Frankenstein a few years ago, and as I reread it this year, I found that the same moments in the story conjured up the exact same mental images, in great detail, as I had experienced in 8th grade. This sense of deja vu was made even more odd by the fact that I had not thought about the novel at all for quite some time. Yet, I could easily imagine the exact same Lake Geneva, Ingolstadt, monster, Orkney Islands, family and woods and many other things as I had before. This is because Shelley's language was vivid enough to make a distinct impression on me, an impression specific enough not to change over time.

Of course, everyone may completely disagree with me, but these are the things that strike me first when I read.