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i got this question on CC recently:
"im new to writing and having a hard time on getting my fic to flow nicely, any tips?"
so here's a thread on establishing good writing flow!
"im new to writing and having a hard time on getting my fic to flow nicely, any tips?"
so here's a thread on establishing good writing flow!
what determines "good" flow? word choice? sentence rhythm? story progression?
it's all of these things, but it's also more than that—our familiarity with the language and how exposed we've been to other writing in the same language can affect our intuitive sense of "good" flow.
it's all of these things, but it's also more than that—our familiarity with the language and how exposed we've been to other writing in the same language can affect our intuitive sense of "good" flow.
try to keep in mind as i go through these tips that your miles may vary! there's no black and white formula to good writing, but i think these are good things for a beginning writer to keep in mind as you write—if only for practice and to build some confidence in your craft.
TIP #1
read your writing aloud. i know it’s embarrassing, but this is the absolute best way to check your flow as you go. if something feels weird when you say it or if it’s hard to read a sentence without losing your breath, your flow may be awkward or exhausting for readers.
read your writing aloud. i know it’s embarrassing, but this is the absolute best way to check your flow as you go. if something feels weird when you say it or if it’s hard to read a sentence without losing your breath, your flow may be awkward or exhausting for readers.
keep in mind that many readers (myself included) actually hear the words they read in their head as they’re reading. reading your work aloud before publishing will help you catch various errors (including tense confusion) that these readers usually notice.
TIP #2
pay attention to your syntax. your sentences should generally vary in length, subject, predicate, and—sometimes—punctuation.
in my opinion it’s sentence variety, not just sentence complexity, that differentiates really strong writers.
pay attention to your syntax. your sentences should generally vary in length, subject, predicate, and—sometimes—punctuation.
in my opinion it’s sentence variety, not just sentence complexity, that differentiates really strong writers.
gary provost has a great quote on sentence length that i think every writer should see and internalize.
this illustrates sentence flow, as i understand it, better than just just about any resource i could give you.
this illustrates sentence flow, as i understand it, better than just just about any resource i could give you.
i want to emphasize subject variation too.
finish writing a paragraph or a small section, then read over it and check how many times you repeated a subject.
if you see something like, “SHE did this. SHE went here. it was fun. then SHE realized,” try combining some sentences.
finish writing a paragraph or a small section, then read over it and check how many times you repeated a subject.
if you see something like, “SHE did this. SHE went here. it was fun. then SHE realized,” try combining some sentences.
TIP #3
a sentence is generally easier to read when it’s written in chronological order.
for example: “after practice, he caught the first bus out of town,” flows better than, “he took the first bus out of town after practice.”
a sentence is generally easier to read when it’s written in chronological order.
for example: “after practice, he caught the first bus out of town,” flows better than, “he took the first bus out of town after practice.”
TIP #4
this one seems small but i swear by it: use em dashes for asides, not commas.
commas are great! keep using them at your leisure for contractions, appositives, lists, transitional words or phrases, clauses, etc.—but use em dashes on asides.
this one seems small but i swear by it: use em dashes for asides, not commas.
commas are great! keep using them at your leisure for contractions, appositives, lists, transitional words or phrases, clauses, etc.—but use em dashes on asides.
the thing about commas is that you can use them a MILLION different ways, so it can be hard for readers to predict what’s going to follow a comma.
when someone starts to read a sentence a certain way only to realize it’s structured differently than they expected, flow suffers.
when someone starts to read a sentence a certain way only to realize it’s structured differently than they expected, flow suffers.
so keep your comma usage minimal. apply them where they’re essential, and use other types of punctuation or restructure your sentence when you think comma usage may cause undue confusion.
this is a great example of something that’s easiest to catch by reading your writing aloud.
this is a great example of something that’s easiest to catch by reading your writing aloud.
TIP #5
be careful with point of view switching.
i STRONGLY recommend you avoid mid-section point of view switching. going from several paragraphs of Character A’s point of view to Character B’s all of the sudden never fails to confuse me as a reader.
be careful with point of view switching.
i STRONGLY recommend you avoid mid-section point of view switching. going from several paragraphs of Character A’s point of view to Character B’s all of the sudden never fails to confuse me as a reader.
POV jumps are most effective and least confusing at set, defined points in the story—like after a section separator or at the start of a new chapter.
i hesitate to say “never”, but i really don’t think there’s ever a good reason to switch POVs mid-sentence or mid-paragraph.
i hesitate to say “never”, but i really don’t think there’s ever a good reason to switch POVs mid-sentence or mid-paragraph.
TIP #6
verb tenses in are generally tricky, but past perfect (or pluperfect) is especially so.
past perfect is generally used when we’re already writing in past tense but want to refer to a time FURTHER in the past.
verb tenses in are generally tricky, but past perfect (or pluperfect) is especially so.
past perfect is generally used when we’re already writing in past tense but want to refer to a time FURTHER in the past.
in english, past perfect or past perfect progressive tense verbs are made using “had” such as “had written” or “had been writing”.
but, in my experience, flow suffers when you have a lengthy past perfect section and conjugate ALL of your verbs this way.
but, in my experience, flow suffers when you have a lengthy past perfect section and conjugate ALL of your verbs this way.
instead, try using past perfect a few times to establish where EXACTLY in the timeline you are, then default to past tense for most of the rest of the section.
BUT!! when you return to the original timeline, you MUST use a transition word/phrase to make the timeline jump clear.
BUT!! when you return to the original timeline, you MUST use a transition word/phrase to make the timeline jump clear.
TIP #7
paragraph structure is just as important as sentence structure. when you write a paragraph, every sentence in that paragraph should be logically connected.
not every paragraph needs a traditional subject sentence, but each of your paragraphs needs to have a purpose.
paragraph structure is just as important as sentence structure. when you write a paragraph, every sentence in that paragraph should be logically connected.
not every paragraph needs a traditional subject sentence, but each of your paragraphs needs to have a purpose.
this is often intuitive, but if you struggle with this, here’s a trick:
when you start to write a new paragraph, declare its purpose out loud or in a comment on your document—like “in this paragraph, i will describe the room.” then make every sentence in the paragraph do that.
when you start to write a new paragraph, declare its purpose out loud or in a comment on your document—like “in this paragraph, i will describe the room.” then make every sentence in the paragraph do that.
logic should guide you (and your readers) from one paragraph to the next.
using my earlier example: in one paragraph, describe the room; in the next, show us something happening in the room; in the next, have a character get involved with what’s happening.
using my earlier example: in one paragraph, describe the room; in the next, show us something happening in the room; in the next, have a character get involved with what’s happening.
if you decide to make a sudden, illogical jump away from the story’s current place or time, use a transition word/phrase to keep your readers from getting lost and confused.
alternatively, slap down a section separator and start an entirely new section.
alternatively, slap down a section separator and start an entirely new section.
i think that’s all the tips i have on writing flow for now! i’ll update this thread if any others occur to me. let me know if you find this helpful—it’s always a joy to hear!
as always, if you have any questions my CC is always open: https://curiouscat.qa/astroeulogy
as always, if you have any questions my CC is always open: https://curiouscat.qa/astroeulogy
