Three Simple Approaches to Writing Sentences
In his book, Making Movies, Oscar-winning filmmaker Sidney Lumet recalled a conversation he once had with Akira Kurosawa. The legendary director had helmed classics that included Rashomon, Throne of Blood, and High and Low, but Lumet had a particular question about 1985’s Ran. He wrote:
“I once asked Akira Kurosawa why he had chosen to frame a shot in Ran in a particular way. His answer was that if he'd panned the camera one inch to the left, the Sony factory would be sitting there exposed, and if he'd panned an inch to the right, we would see the airport.”
Sometimes, your approach to writing boils down to similar guardrails. What you ultimately want to do is prepare a piece that is compelling and readable one sentence at a time. Here are three simple approaches to make sure the proverbial Sony factory does not bleed into your work.
1. Don’t Start Consecutive Sentences or Paragraphs with the Same Word
When we were first learning how to write in school, we probably started most of our sentences with “the”. However, starting every sentence with the same word today will make your piece monotonous and uncompelling to the reader. As you write and/or rewrite, make sure you do not begin consecutive sentences or paragraphs with the same word.
2. Implement the One-Phrase/Adverb/Preposition Rule in Starting Sentences
Writers will use a combination of phrases, conjunctive adverbs, and prepositions, such as “That being said”, “In addition”, or “Regardless”, to start sentences. For example, I love the word “However”, but if I used it in every paragraph, it would lose its punch. To avoid this, I set a rule that when I use one of these words, I can’t use it again for another 500-700 words in the piece. Often, that means I can only use it once.
3. Rewrite Awkward Sentences
If you wrote a sentence and it is awkward for you to read, the reader is going to have an even tougher time with it. Never settle for clunky sentences and continue rewriting until you are comfortable with it.
These approaches may seem simple and obvious but keeping them top of mind will make your writing stronger. A good movie is a series of well-framed and acted camera shots and stellar written work is basically a collection of sentences that are easy to read and flow into the next one over and over.
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