The Mighty Word's Guide to Good Writing
Part Seven - Weaving the Web: Good Sequencing
Good writing also depends upon the skill of good sequencing. Simply put, this means that the order in which you put your ideas or elements in your story down on paper is clear, progressive and comprehensible. So, it is not only good sentence construction that counts. Where you put those sentences in relation to one another is also important.
Clear – each idea should follow the rule of simplicity above, and should be placed in clear, unbroken clauses that are not overcomplicated or under-explained. Give each idea its fullest expression without padding.
Progressive – with your idea fully cooked and well expressed, focus on making your argument or narrative flow. One idea – one sentence – should follow another with apparently effortless ease, as if the thought is growing organically from one stage to the next. Clear and full expression of one idea or scene provides the foundation upon which its successor is built. Each fully formed idea nurtures that which follows it, so don’t skimp and don’t build crazy and unnecessary follies that won’t support anything. All of this translates into solid, efficient sentences that are purposefully interwoven. (There a technique that wilfully refuses progressive linking. This is called ‘parataxis’ and is the reserve of poetry and philosophy, for the most part. For all but the most highly trained and rarified of practitioners, the progressive rule should guide us.)
This takes time, there are no two ways about it. Plan your essay or story. Get clear about what you want to say and where you are going. You may think that you will save time by diving in and just writing it out – it will all come out in the wash, won’t it? No – you will, in fact, save a lot of time and brain-ache if you put time and effort into planning your campaign. You will emerge with a text that is more clearly formed, clearly argued and executed than the ‘seat of the pants’ approach can provide.
Comprehensible – good progression in sentence ordering means that you don’t jump from one idea to another, or simply repeat something you’ve already said. Fully explore an idea – cook it till it’s done – and explain your reasons for discussing this idea at this moment, if necessary. In fiction, present a scene with all the requisite detail, but make each detail count. Every aspect should serve a purpose, whether that’s a shaft of sunlight or an entire scene that demonstrates the consequences of the scene it follows. Disconnection is a fatal flaw in any text. Sentences that don’t seem aware of their neighbours, or of where they are going, will leave the reader adrift without a paddle.
At the same time, don’t tread water by just saying the same thing (now even the boat has disappeared, time to reign in the aquatic metaphors). Repetition without progression is the surest sign of a writer without a plan, of a writer trying to fill space and kill time. Readers and essay markers will spot this instantly, so beware. Sentences without forward momentum are mere waifs and orphans. They need a family and a home: bring them in from the cold by making sure your thoughts are packaged in effective sentences and your sentences are connected and filled with onward purpose.
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Next: Signposting: punctuation, give it some love.
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