[Tipster] What Is Cadence in Writing?

In this edition of Tipster, our focus is on cadence, one of the great elements of voice. 

We all want to write with a unique voice, a style that is our signature.

One way to do that is through cadence. The word cadence means "modulation or inflection of voice."

One basic way to create cadence is to mix up your sentence length. To use phrases that don't have both a subject and a verb (like this one).

This tip is actually an exercise:

1. Identify one of your longer paragraphs, in which you have a least five sentences.

• Don't stress about which one. Just find one and do the exercise.

2. Count the number of sentences.

• If you have five sentences in the paragraph, you have, well, five sentences.

3. Count the total number of words in the paragraph.

• Do you have 60 words in the paragraph? 100?

4. Then, divide the total number of words by the total number of sentences.

• What is the average number of words per sentence?
• If the average is more than 17 or 18 words per sentence, your sentences, in general, may be too long.
• Perhaps you need to shorten your sentences. By alternating short and long, you create cadence.

Here is an example of Dave's writing about a time when he almost drowned fly fishing in Yellowstone National Park.

He had five sentences, 57 total words, and an average of 11 words per sentence.

Dave's voice is that he likes to write shorter sentences in general. That means fewer compound sentences with dependent clauses. It's part of his "voice."

Yours will be uniquely you.

***Dave's paragraph***

We have no business wading the deceptive, roiling currents of the Yellowstone, even if it is only a side channel. No matter how low the river seems this time of year. Up ahead is a stretch we’ve never fished before. We’re almost there. We make it to the best run ever and start to cast.

***

So, assess the word count of several paragraphs, and see if you can begin to create a different cadence with a better combination of short sentences and long sentences - and even simple phrases as "sentences."

Your high school English teacher would be mortified!