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

One of my Essay Architecture patterns is “fabric” which is about sentence to sentence motion. It’s the most zoomed in pattern around structure. I think there are five sub-parts to this:

• CHAINS — In order to unpack an idea, you need to describe it and change your perspective on it over several sentences. This means you need to “carry” some object (ie

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“The trick to writing well is to...

– take long sentences and make them short

– take confusing ideas and make them clear

– take unrelated concepts and make them related

...without losing the main idea in the process.”

Putting ideas into words doesn't have to mean writing, of course. You can also do it the old way, by talking. But in my experience, writing is the stricter test. You have to commit to a single, optimal sequence of words. Less can go unsaid when you don't have tone of voice to carry meaning. And you can focus in a way that would seem excessive in co... See more

People naturally remember musical language, and I would encourage writers to inject their prose with a bit of music. When you’re writing, think about repetition and variety. Crescendos and rests. Pace and punctuation. Read your work out loud, and feel the rhythm of the words in your voice.