Shorter, Obvious Sentences

Just doing a little opinion poll about using short, obvious sentences for dramatic effect. Do you guys do this? I sprinkle sentences/descriptions like this into my writing every once in a while for dramatic contrast to my sometimes open-ended description. I like to use a lot of symbolic imagery, comparing technology to natural phenomena like waves (lights moving across a screen) or tree branches (wires on a circuit board). So it makes a big difference to have a line like,

It was him. President Veighman Strand himself.

I think it creates a strong punch for readers, since my usual lines would say something to lead readers to know who I was talking about, without directly saying it. It's like a shock to the system. I've seen this have positive reactions with many readers, who really remember those moments as something big happening.

What has your experience been using this technique? Are you more of a firm believer in a consistent narrator, or are variant punches healthy for the ebb and flow?

 

Yeah, it's good to have some variety.

 

I use shorter sentences in action sequences mostly to help drive it forward. Show it's usually fast paced. I sometimes do it during thought monologues so it breaks up the length and lets the reader take a moment if they need to. I think shorter sentences are valuable, but too short too frequently and it sounds like a horse trotting when you read it.

 

I do it when I need impact.

 

I don't write much action, so I use them only for internal monologue, and then sparingly.

 

Couldn't agree more. That's why I use more complex (not necessarily long) sentences for a majority of the time, sprinkling in short ones to give readers a break.

 

I agree with the previous posters. I can only add that for most writers, the danger isn't in sentences that are too short but in sentences that are too long. Some writer gave this advice: "If you have a very long sentence, you'd better have a damn good reason for leaving it way instead of breaking it into two shorter sentences."

 

My favorite writing quotes are ones that use themselves to illustrate the concept they reference. I wish I could remember what it's called, but there's one that's like a two paragraph explanation of sentence structure, using so many different sentence structures. It's genius.