The Infinite Almanac of Writing Wisdom
I give this book to everyone. Tufte works through hundreds of syntax patterns and their effects on the reader, using real examples drawn from every type of writing imaginable.
This book is a fucking joy. https://t.co/3t797GQsYw
Such considerations of sound and rhythm should go into everything you write. If all your sentences move at the same plodding gait, which even you recognize as deadly but don’t know how to cure, read them aloud. (I write entirely by ear and read everything aloud before letting it go out into the world.) You’ll begin to hear where the trouble lies. S
... See moreWilliam Zinsser • On Writing Well, 30th Anniversary Edition: An Informal Guide to Writing Nonfiction
What separates writing that is fun, easy to read, even musical, is writing that alternates rhythms—fast vs slow, quick vs descriptive, etc. The more your writing alternates between opposites, the more movement it has, and the more the reader feels like they are being taken on a journey (opposed to hacking their way through a textbook).