There are few things in a writer's life more satisfying than composing a really good sentence.
The sentence is the starting point. And it is the clincher. And it connects everything in between.
We don't always remember entire passages, but we remember really good sentences:
"The only thing we have to fear is fear itself."
"Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country."
"You had me at hello."
I have written millions of sentences in my career - and I remember the best one I ever wrote. It was 25 years ago. I was hired to write a script for a video promoting Charlie Brown Daycare Center. The video was to be shown to parents who might choose Charlie Brown as a place for their children. The video was only about 10minutes long - so I had little time to get the message across. I wrote, "If there's any time more important than the time you spend with your kids, it's the time you don't."
You may not remember the best sentence you ever wrote - but you can do this: Read through whatever project you're working on now and see if you can identify at least one really good sentence. And then sit back and enjoy the satisfaction you'll feel.
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Sometimes the best sentence is the one you don't write. The sentence your reader is compelled to say when you've brought the reader to the precipice.
ReplyDeleteGood point, Jim. Reader fulfillment is the ultimate goal.
ReplyDeleteA great sentence, John, and I remember Charley Brown DC well, since both grandkids went there. It was where Brigid, at the age of 3, said that a playmate was bellicose. No wonder she's a writer, too.
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