How to make your writing flow
There are many factors that contribute to how well your writing flows. Central to all these factors is understanding the structure and role of the paragraph.
The purpose of the paragraph is to indicate to the reader that we’ve moved on to a new theme. The theme is related to the previous paragraph (because it’s under the same heading), but we have a new message. Remember to take small steps: one idea per sentence, one theme per paragraph, and one topic per section.
One of the worst things you can do is mix themes in the same paragraph. You’ve moved on to something new, but the reader thinks you’re still talking about the same thing. There’s no minimum length to a paragraph: if you have said all that needs to be said in one short sentence, then end the paragraph and start a new one.
For example, consider this:
In an earlier study, Facun (2012b) cast doubt on the sampling procedures followed in the 2011 drilling programme. This was based on the poor correlation with check assays. SMIC notes, however, that samples in the primary ore zones correlate well. Consequently, SMIC considers that the potential impact of sampling errors on the current model is small. However, SMIC recommends a thorough review of field procedures before the next drilling campaign begins.
To me, that reads well and delivers the message clearly to the reader. Why? Well, there are lots of things:
- The opening sentence sets the context for the reader. The theme is that there’s some doubt about the sampling. The sentences that follow then explain, illuminate, and respond to this theme. This technique of introducing the theme in the first sentence often works well in technical writing.
- There are numerous continuity devices, which link the sentences together. The introductory phrase “In an earlier study” links the paragraph to what came before. The pronoun “this” connects the second sentence to the first. And the transitional words “however” and “consequently” link the final sentences to the previous ones.
- Note the length of each sentence: they vary from 10 to 17 words. Each idea is communicated clearly and concisely. That’s the role of the sentence: we leave it to the paragraph to build the complete argument.
Now look more closely at what each sentence in the example paragraph does:
1. State the problem (17 words)
2. Provide more detail (10 words)
3. Comment on that (12 words)
4. Give a solution (16 words)
5. Add a recommendation (15 words)
This takes the reader in a logical path from problem (point A) to solution (point B).
It is this combination of logical order, continuity devices, and sentence length that makes the paragraph “read well”. Many writers fall into the trap of treating the sentence like a paragraph, and then fail to deliver their message because of the complexity of the grammar and punctuation needed to write long sentences. Note there are only four commas in the previous example—long sentences need more punctuation and are harder for the reader to decipher.
October 8, 2015 / Tim McAuley / 0