Why variety is a writer’s superpower (and how to use it)

I saw this quote on writer Junot Diaz's Substack and had to share it. It's something I'm often talking to my writing clients and students about--embrace variety in writing.

As humans it's easy to fall into a routine. It takes some discomfort to squeeze us out of this and into doing something else, like going to a different cafe, taking a new route to and from work or trying a new activity.

When you write the same thing applies.

We can easily get stuck writing only lengthy sentences, using the same words from paragraph to paragraph, or writing only short, choppy sentences because that's what we've always done. When we write in the same way, we can bore the reader to the point where they stop reading. No matter how interesting the topic, if the writing style is dull and lifeless then the reader will feel it.

In my novel-writing class I present videos of spoken word poets reciting poetry because I want students to understand that writing isn't only words on a page. It's words that live in a reader's head.

The above example gives writers an idea that writing is about communicating ideas, information, and stories, yet it's also about rhythm and cadence. The way we structure sentences emits feelings and impressions like a song does. A reader reacts then not only to what we write but to how we write. When we become aware of this fact, it gives us more agency over the writing process.

We're not simple putting words down on a page to transmit information--the sentences we use become themselves vehicles for how writers receive the story.

So the next time you write, consider the following:

• Are you using short and longer sentences?

• Do you vary your words or tend to repeat the same words?

• What are some ways you can enliven your writing? For example, I often pair two words together that perhaps haven't met before. This creates dynamism and freshness in the writing.

• Are your paragraphs varied in length, or do they all follow the same structure?

• Do you mix up your sentence structures (e.g., starting with a question, a clause, or an action)?

• Do you shift between showing and telling?

• Do you vary the pacing (speeding up for action and slowing down for reflection)?

• Are you experimenting with tone (e.g., humourous, conversational)?

• Do you include a mix of concrete details and abstract ideas?

• Do you consider how sentence lengths, words, repetition, etc., carry emotional weight (think of MLK's "I Have a Dream" speech)

Perhaps this is something you've already thought about or it might be a new concept for you. Even though it's not new to me, I need reminders as I can get into a writing slump the same as any other writer can.