#7 Rhythm Makes Great Writing
On the power of sentence length, the slippery slope into sameness, how Microsoft communicators are using AI and the emergence of courtcore.
Welcome back to my Communicator’s Notebook!
Communication is a powerful life skill – but one we’re rarely taught.
I’ve spent nearly thirty years studying what works and what doesn’t when it comes to communicating - and have discovered a lot of helpful tips along the way.
The Communicator’s Notebook is where I’m sharing all I know.
Rhythm Makes Great Writing
Today I’m covering a simple technique which will make your writing sing.
A few weeks ago I went to see the movie Tár - a brilliant, shape shifting film about a powerful female conductor, with the mesmeric Cate Blanchett in the lead.
My sister had urged me to see the movie in the cinema – “to experience the full effect of the music.”
I’m so glad I did.
Ooomph. The wall of sound from Mahler’s 5th only served to heighten the drama unfolding on-screen.
It got me thinking about how similar music and writing are.
How both can move you in unexpected ways.
Music has a beat, a tempo, which creates a pattern of stressed and unstressed notes.
This rhythm is essential to creating a sense of movement and energy. Beat, melody, and harmony convey the emotion of the music.
Good writing also has a rhythm.
Only this time it is created using words, sentence length, a composition of stressed and unstressed syllables and patterns of sounds.
This rhythm helps to create a sense of dynamism and momentum in your writing, drawing in the reader, conveying your message more effectively.
Banish the bland
If this sounds a bit too esoteric, take a look at this short exercise from Gary Provost which perfectly illustrates the idea of rhythm in writing.
Up the tempo
When I worked in an office, I used to keep a count of the longest sentences I read in emails from Important People. The winner still stands at 52 words.
52 words in just one sentence!
It required nerves of steel not to give up.
Instead of writing long sentences, experiment. Chop up lines. Challenge yourself to make music with your words.
Here are five ways rhythm can help to make your communication more engaging and effective:
1. Clarity: Short sentences convey a clear, direct message. Longer sentences can ramble on, and on, and on, making them more difficult to follow, especially when writers start adding in subclauses, or caveats, or even (god forbid), pontificating on a completely new idea without taking a pause for breath. Snappy sentences are particularly good for big announcements. Or social media. Or global audiences, whose first language isn’t always English.
2. Flow: Varying sentence length can help to create a sense of rhythm and flow. Too many short sentences can make writing feel choppy and disjointed. Too many long sentences and the reader can become distracted.
3. Tone: Short, simple sentences can create a sense of straight-talking business, urgency or emphasis - while longer, more complex sentences can convey a more descriptive, literary or statesman-like tone.
4. Emphasis: Short sentences can be particularly effective for highlighting key information. Use at the beginning or end of a paragraph to neatly sum up the point you are making.
5. Engagement: Varying sentence length keeps readers interested. Repetition is tedious, but a mix of short and long sentences can help to keep readers on their toes.
Thought Provokers
As always, here are a few thought provoking articles I read this week.
I can’t stop thinking about this long read – Welcome to the Age of Average. Once you’ve seen it, you can’t unsee it. Fantastic call to action too: “when every industry has converged on its own singular style, bold brands and courageous companies have the chance to chart a different course. To be different, distinctive and disruptive.”
And here’s Axios on How Microsoft communication leaders are using AI. I’m intrigued by this – instead of using the tech to draft; "At the end of that process, you can take the approved draft and run it through AI and ask" what the key message is. "If the AI doesn't find it, then people aren't going to find it either. So that means you have to stop, go back and relook at what you've done. ... It's an easy checkpoint."
Then there was this short interview with marketing professor Jonah Berger who has spent years studying language on, offering great advice on how “subtle shifts in our language can have a huge effect on our impact. Adding just one word to a request can make people 50% more likely to say yes.” Plus some helpful notes on using questions and emotions in storytelling.
I’ve also been slightly obsessed by the Gwyneth Paltrow skiing trial - for all it says about celebrity culture - and because it’s generating wickedly funny articles like this Marina Hyde article. We are even seeing the evolution of new words – “At the celebrity ski trial of the century,” chirruped the New York Times, “Gwyneth Paltrow has debuted "a new style subgenre that ought henceforth to be known as courtcore."
Now while I don’t tarry over articles picking apart what women wear (I don’t seem to remember many articles on Johnny Depp’s court attire) - emerging words do fascinate me, holding the same wonder as a nebula being born.
Well, that’s it for this edition. If you enjoyed The Communicator’s Notebook it would mean the world if you could share it with your network, on LinkedIn or elsewhere.
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Until next time,
Rachel
About me: I’m Rachel, the writer of this newsletter. I’ve worked in communications for over a quarter of a century and am a board-level adviser and content creator. I’m also an author and teach communication skills. You can read more about me or contact me about freelance work here.
52 words in one sentence! You’re a better person than me for not giving up 😊