Fix Your Damn Book!: A Self-Editing Guide for Authors by Baldwin James Osiris

Author:Baldwin, James Osiris
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Gift Horse Productions
Published: 2016-05-15T00:00:00+00:00

One of the most important qualities of good writing – and good editing – is cadence. Cadence is vastly overlooked in craft-of-writing books because it is not a technical quality which is often recognized by readers, though it is appreciated by them. Have you ever wondered why some writing almost seems to compel you to read on, while other lines fall completely and entirely flat?

This is why: the writing lacks cadence.

Cadence literally means 'falling', as in the falling inflection of the voice at the end of a sentence. In music, cadence is: “A progression of chords moving to a harmonic close, point of rest, or sense of resolution.” (Free Online Dictionary). It is the balance and rhythm found in the best poetry and music. It is literally the way in which a combination of words sound when they’re spoken aloud... or read in your mind by your internal narrator.

I cannot emphasize how significant this simple musical concept is to the craft of writing and, by extension, editing. Cadence is how you create, sustain and emphasize emotions and actions. You can use it to balance dialogue so that it becomes irresistible to read.

The quote from Gary Provost is a beautiful example of cadence in action, but here is another demonstration: the following lines are extracts from The Hollow Men, a poem by T.S Eliot. Spellings are in the original British English:

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