I put off writing this post because honestly, I don't have a lot to say on this subject. The natural rhythm of speech changes based on the situation and so should your writing. If not, it sounds like you're not just talking but like you're trying to 'be a writer'. 'Writerese' is a second language no one needs.
Typically, though, my writing tends to be on the more lyrical side. I talk a lot.
Still, I tend to edit as I go and that keeps the overall sentence length down a bit. Every now and then you'll see some very choppy sentences but those are usually in action scenes or horror scenes or something similar. They break up the flow. And it isn't just the overall flow of the sentence either. It's the individual words as well.
If you try to cram too many long words into a sentence, it loses its flow and you're left skipping words or dragging yourself through them just looking for the end. Obviously, this isn't good for a book, this isn't good for the reader and I can't say it'll do too much for your credibility as a writer, either.
Different stories need different things. I can't say that my way is so much better because 'my way' changes, sometimes from chapter to chapter, depending on the tone I need to set. I have several short stories that need a longer (and older) style. They don't work with a shorter, more modern style. It would lose some of the slightly alien charm otherwise.
The bottom line with rhythm is: find yours. Find the correct speed for the scene and stick with it. If you deviate too much, you'll just wind up having to fix it in editing.
Not much of a post but brevity is the soul of wit and all of that. Play with styles and speeds until you find what works for the piece. You'll know if something isn't flowing right.
Typically, though, my writing tends to be on the more lyrical side. I talk a lot.
Still, I tend to edit as I go and that keeps the overall sentence length down a bit. Every now and then you'll see some very choppy sentences but those are usually in action scenes or horror scenes or something similar. They break up the flow. And it isn't just the overall flow of the sentence either. It's the individual words as well.
If you try to cram too many long words into a sentence, it loses its flow and you're left skipping words or dragging yourself through them just looking for the end. Obviously, this isn't good for a book, this isn't good for the reader and I can't say it'll do too much for your credibility as a writer, either.
Different stories need different things. I can't say that my way is so much better because 'my way' changes, sometimes from chapter to chapter, depending on the tone I need to set. I have several short stories that need a longer (and older) style. They don't work with a shorter, more modern style. It would lose some of the slightly alien charm otherwise.
The bottom line with rhythm is: find yours. Find the correct speed for the scene and stick with it. If you deviate too much, you'll just wind up having to fix it in editing.
Not much of a post but brevity is the soul of wit and all of that. Play with styles and speeds until you find what works for the piece. You'll know if something isn't flowing right.
