Sentence flow

[Amontillado]

This resonates with me -

, sentence transition, subordination, and modifiers.

I think the larger point is to match sentence flow with ideas. For instance, building a case for something controversial might be done with long, sonorous sentences leading the reader to the brink without alarming the poor fellow. Then drive the point home with a short declarative statement. I think getting the reader to stop is productive when you're looking for reflection.

Sentence and idea flow, not that I'm much of a writer, seem like tools to control the reader's state of mind. A necessary thing for telling a good story.

 

[Naomasa298]

Sentence flow is important, but so is the narrative weight of each part of the sentence. For example:

Heavy, light, heavy, light doesn't work very well - the consequential stakes keep varying in rhythm. "All that was left of Mary's house were charred ashes. The firemen were still trying to put it out. Her children were alive - it was one less thing she had to worry about." Although the last part *can* work, depending on whether you wanted to depict Mary as uncaring, or relieved. If it's just mentioned in passing, it fails.
Consequential, building, climax, can work better. "The universe began in darkness. Then God spoke the words, 'Let there be light'. And man, made in God's image was born."

(Sorry, I'm not being religious, it was just the example that sprang to mind)

Long, sonorous sentences are about rhythm more than frightening someone off. Building a case for something controversial or powerful can work by layering meaning, building on what was said before, not sentence length on its own. It's how quickly the stakes build that can do that - gentle slope, or steep hill.

 

[Banespawn]

Sentence flow is important, but so is the narrative weight of each part of the sentence. For example:

Heavy, light, heavy, light doesn't work very well - the consequential stakes keep varying in rhythm. "All that was left of Mary's house were charred ashes. The firemen were still trying to put it out. Her children were alive - it was one less thing she had to worry about." Although the last part *can* work, depending on whether you wanted to depict Mary as uncaring, or relieved. If it's just mentioned in passing, it fails.
Consequential, building, climax, can work better. "The universe began in darkness. Then God spoke the words, 'Let there be light'. And man, made in God's image was born."

(Sorry, I'm not being religious, it was just the example that sprang to mind)

Long, sonorous sentences are about rhythm more than frightening someone off. Building a case for something controversial or powerful can work by layering meaning, building on what was said before, not sentence length on its own. It's how quickly the stakes build that can do that - gentle slope, or steep hill.

The guy in the video mentions this, referring to it as semantic flow, the flow of ideas from one to the next. He talks about that in depth in another video. In this video, he's talking specifically about syntactic flow, which is based on sentence structure and word choice.

This guy has a lot of good videos. I've watched quite a number of them over the years.