Rhythm, pattern, and sound matter more in writing than you may think, but it’s often overshadowed by stress on other elements that make a story pleasant to the mind.
Repetition. This is pretty self-explanatory.
Use of words that don’t fit the situation (Especially in dialogue. If a character is laid back and simple in their speech, they aren’t going to use a word like “demonstrably”).
Redundant sentences ~ to quote this article :
“She nodded her head in agreement.
She nodded. (We know it’s her head and we know a head nod signifies agreement.)”
Bad punctuation. Keep in mind that a period is a stop in speech, while a comma is more of a pause. This can make a massive difference in the way the story flows. Commas are your friends.
Breaks in story. Carefully choose where paragraphs start and end, as well as chapters or scenes. You want the end of each paragraph to hint at a transition into the next.
Pay attention to sentence length. This may not be a shock, but sentence length is one of the most important things to pay attention to when creating flow. Barbara Tuchman, winner of two Pulitzer prizes, has a tip for her readers, in terms of sentence length: 3 long sentences, two short “staccato” sentences. Sentences that are all the same length are boring!
A few highlights from the best article I found on flow which you can find HERE:
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Action scenes contain few distractions, little description, and limited transitions. Omit or limit character thoughts, especially in the midst of danger or crisis, since during a crisis people focus solely on survival. To create poignancy, forgo long, descriptive passages and choose a few details that serve as emotionally charged props instead.
“ On Action Scenes“ When the outcome of a scene or chapter is left hanging, the pace naturally picks up because the reader will turn the page to find out what happens next…
If your characters are in the midst of a conversation, end the scene with a revelation, threat, or challenge.
“ On Cliffhangers“ Reactions, descriptions, and attributions are minimal. Don’t create dialogue exchanges where your characters discuss or ponder.“ On Dialogue
“ Suspense and, by extension, forward movement are created when you prolong outcomes.” On Prolonged Outcomes
“ Summary is a way of trimming your word count and reserving scenes for the major events. You can also summarize whole eras, descriptions, and backstory. Summaries work well when time passes but there is little to report, when an action is repeated or when a significant amount of time has passed.” On Summary
“ Think concrete words (like prodigy and iceberg), active voice (with potent verbs like zigzag and plunder), and sensory information that’s artfully embedded. If you write long, involved paragraphs, try breaking them up.” On Word Choice and Sentence Structure
Sources Used In This Post (A.K.A. where to learn more)
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Improving Flow In Writing
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