• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Wylie's Writing Tips

Improve your communications with our training, consulting, and writing services

  • Home
  • Writing training
    • Webinars | Mini Master Classes
    • Workshops | Master Classes
      • Past writing workshops
    • Writing coaching
    • Writing guidelines
    • Editing services
    • Memberships
    • Writing training clients
  • Writing tips
    • Content writing
      • Relevant content writing
        • Relevant content writing resources
        • Relevant content writing quotes
      • Creative content writing
      • Structure for content
      • Readability for content
        • Resources on blog post length
        • Quotes on blog post length
      • Scannable web copy
      • Content writing resources
      • Content writing quotes
    • Email writing
      • Why email writing?
      • Subject lines
        • Resources on subject lines
        • Quotes on subject lines
      • Target your email
        • Quotes on targeted email
      • Feature story structure
      • Short, readable emails
        • Quotes on readable emails
      • Scannable emails
        • Quotes on how to write scannable email
      • Resources on email writing
      • Quotes on email writing
    • Microcontent
      • Skimming, scanning, reading
        • Resources on skimming, scanning, reading
        • Quotes on skimming, scanning, reading
      • Bulleted lists
        • Quotes on bullets lists
      • Callouts, pull quotes
        • Quotes on pull quotes and callouts
      • Captions, cutlines
        • Quotes on captions
      • Decks, summary blurbs
      • Headlines
        • Benefit headlines
        • Feature headlines
        • Web headlines
          • Quotes on web headlines
        • Quotes on headlines
      • Links, buttons
        • Quotes on links
      • Subheads
        • Quotes on how to do subheadings
      • Resources on display copy
      • Quotes on display copy
    • Persuasive writing
      • What’s in it for me?
        • Quotes on WIIFMs
      • Write about benefits
        • Quotes on verbs
        • Quotes on benefits
      • Write to, about You
        • Quotes on ‘you’ writing
      • Quotes about persuasive writing
    • Public relations writing
      • Target readers with PR writing
        • Relevant releases quotes
      • Organize PR writing
        • Leads for releases
          • Press release first paragraph
          • Quotes on press release leads
      • Quotations
        • Quotes about public relations quotes
      • Readability for PR
        • Quotes on ideal press release length
      • Headlines, display copy for PR
        • Headlines for releases
      • Resources on press releases
      • Quotes on press releases
    • Readability
      • Why readability?
        • Information overload
          • Information overload quotes
      • Message length
        • Why short content
        • Measure A.R.T.
        • Tighten your story angle
        • Resources on writing short content
        • Quotes on writing short content
      • Paragraph length
        • Quotes on paragraph length
      • Writing with statistics
        • Quotes on writing with statistics
      • Sentence length
        • Resources on short sentences
        • Quotes on good sentence length
        • Quotes on how to write a simple sentence
      • Passive voice
        • Quotes on the passive voice
      • Word length
        • Quotes on short words
      • Jargon
        • Quotes on jargon
      • Adjectives & adverbs
        • Quotes on adjectives & adverbs
      • Readable
        • Resources on readability
        • Quotes on readability
      • Conversational copy
        • Quotes on conversational business writing
    • Storytelling and creative writing
      • Concrete details
        • Why concrete details?
        • Types of concrete detail
        • Quotes on concrete details
      • Description
        • Quotes on scent
      • Human interest
        • Quotes on human interest
      • Metaphor
        • Why use metaphor?
        • Complex copy
        • Creative comparisons
        • Simplify stats
        • Cut clichés
        • Metaphor writing
        • Resources on metaphor
        • Quotes on metaphor
      • Storytelling
        • Why is storytelling important?
        • Find stories
        • Storytelling research
        • Elements of storytelling
        • Storytelling structure
        • Resources on storytelling
        • Quotes on storytelling
      • Wordplay
        • Alliteration
          • Resources on alliteration
        • Balance
        • Coin a word
          • Resources on coin a word
          • Quotes on coin a word
        • Quotes on the etymology of words
        • Rhyme
        • Rhythm
          • Quotes on using rhythm in writing
        • Twist of phrase
        • Quotes on how to use wordplay
      • Resources on creative copy
      • Quotes on creative copy
      • Quotes on boring copy
    • Web writing
      • Why writing for the web?
        • Quotes on why writing for the web
      • Above the fold
        • Quotes on above-the-fold content
      • Tight web copy
        • Quotes on tight web copy
      • Scannable web copy
        • Quotes on scannable web copy
      • SEO for writers
        • Quotes on SEO
        • Quotes on SEO for releases
      • Quotes on crafting good web writing
      • Writing for mobile quotes
    • Writing
    • Writing process
      • Creative process
        • Quotes on creative process
      • Read like a writer
        • Resources on how to become a better writer
        • Quotes on how to become a better writer
      • Writing process
        • Prewriting
          • Research your story
            • Research quotes
          • Develop your story angle
          • Organize your piece
          • Quotes on prewriting stage of writing
      • Writing templates
        • Quotes on writing templates
    • Writing structure
      • Feature story structure
        • Why features structure?
          • Why feature structure?
        • Feature structure examples
        • Feature leads
        • Nut graph
          • Quotes on nut graph
        • Background section
          • Quotes on the background section
        • Body
          • Quotes on the body
        • Conclusion
          • Quotes on how to write good endings
        • Transitions
          • Quotes on transitions
      • Other story structures
      • Quotes on story structure
  • Writing newsletter
    • Current issue
    • What others say
    • Archives
  • Blog
  • Why us?
    • About the trainer
    • Contact Ann

The long and the short of it

Build drama, create rhythm by varying sentence length

Short sentences are best.

But make every sentence simple and short, and your copy will read like “See Dick run” primers.

The long and the short of sentence length image
Sometimes bigger is better Most sentences should be short. But the occasional longer sentence can help you add rhythm and grace to your message. Photo by Jessica Ruscello

1. Make a point more powerfully.

“People read long sentences quickly,” says Jacqui Banaszynski, associate managing editor at The Seattle Times. “They read short sentences more slowly. Short sentences are power points in your copy.”

Take these powerful passages from a Pulitzer Prize-winning series in the New York Daily News about the plight of Sept. 11 rescue workers. Notice how the lead’s staccato sentences hit you in the chest like machine gun fire:

Read full article >

Related stories

Search and destroy conjunctions

Search and destroy conjunctions: And, or and so can increase sentence length

Make messages move faster

Make messages move faster: Sentence fragments pick up the pace of your pieces

“The ability to write clear, crisp sentences that never go beyond twenty words is a considerable achievement.”
— Joseph M. Williams, author of Style: Toward Clarity and Grace

Cut Through the Clutter in San Francisco

Learn to make every piece you write easier to read and understand in this concise-writing workshop

Read it and weep: More than half of all Americans have basic or below basic reading skills, according to the Department of Education’s latest adult literacy test.

Can you read me now?
Can you read me now? Some 50% of Americans struggle to read. How can you reach these audience members? Image by Giulia Bertelli

That means they can sign forms, compare ticket prices for two events and look up shows in a TV guide. But they have trouble finding places on a map, calculating the cost of office supplies from a catalog and comparing viewpoints in two editorials.

How well are we reaching these folks with our messages?

At Cut Through the Clutter — our two-day concise-writing master class on Aug. 17-18 in San Francisco — you’ll learn how to make every piece you write easier to read and understand. You’ll walk away with secrets you can use to reach more readers, measurably improve readability and sell tight writing to management.

Specifically, you’ll learn how to:

  • Write for Readability: Reach readers, improve communication — even boost the bottom line — by making your messages more readable.
  • Cut Through the Clutter: Measure, monitor and manage readability with a cool (free!) tool.
  • Take the ‘Numb’ Out of Numbers: Make statistics understandable and interesting.
  • Start Making Sense: Get the gobbledygook, jargon and gibberish out of your copy.
  • Get a clutter-cutting workout with Wylie: Boost readability by up to 300% when you practice your new skills on your own work.

Save $100 when you register by May 17.

Register now

“I often struggle with decision fatigue over what to cut out or how to best word information. This workshop gave me the tools to make decisions and edit quickly. Most importantly, I have more tools to write better and more efficiently.”
— Desirae MacGillivray, associate, Portavoce PR

Polish your skills at these Master Classes

Learn to Master the Art of the Storyteller, Catch Your Readers, Get Clicked, Cut Through the Clutter and more

Register for Not Your Father's News Release - Ann Wylie's PR-writing workshop in Chicago on May 18-19, 2017
Register for Get Clicked, Read, Shared & Liked - Ann Wylie's online-writing workshop in Portland on July 27-28, 2017
Register for Cut Through the Clutter - Ann Wylie's concise-writing workshop in San Francisco on Aug, 17-18, 2017
Register for Master the Art of the Storyteller in New York: Ann Wylie's creative-writing workshop in New York on Sept. 25-26, 2017
Register for Catch Your Readers in Kansas City: Ann Wylie's persuasive-writing workshop in Kansas City on Nov. 16-17, 2017
Register for Write For The Web and Mobile: Ann Wylie's online-writing workshop in Miami on Dec. 11-12, 2017

Rather bring Ann in to train your whole team?

Invite Ann

Catch Ann on the road

Save when you book a workshop while I’m in your neighborhood

Ask about piggybacking on my upcoming engagements in:

  • Avon, Connecticut: May 31
  • Birmingham, Michigan: May 22
  • Chicago: May 18-19
  • Geneva: July 6
  • Johnson, Rhode Island: Aug. 7-11
  • Kansas City: Nov. 16-17
  • Miami: Dec. 11-12
  • New York: Sept. 25-26
  • Northbrook, Chicago: June 14
  • Plano, Texas: Oct. 19-20
  • Portland: June 6 & July 27-28
  • Roseville, California: Oct. 24
  • San Francisco: Aug. 17-18

Keep up with my calendar.

Please share this issue …

… with two of your colleagues by directing them to our current issue. Better yet, invite them to subscribe to Wylie’s Writing Tips. They’ll thank you — and so will I!

  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook
  • Click to share on X (Opens in new window) X
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window) LinkedIn
  • Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window) WhatsApp
  • Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window) Tumblr
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window) Pinterest
  • More
  • Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window) Pocket
  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email
  • Click to print (Opens in new window) Print

Primary Sidebar

Jan. 31, 2025

  • Write about the impactWrite about the impact: Not about the event
  •  
3 ways to Think Like a Reporter 3 ways to Think Like a Reporter: Put the audience first and more
  • 3 more writing resolutions for 20253 more writing resolutions for 2025: Build a bridge, not a wall — and more
Archives

Wylie Communications, Inc. logo
    Training
  • Webinars | Mini Master Classes
  • Workshops | Master Classes
    Tools
  • Wylie's Writing Labs
  • Free writing tips
Subscribe to our newsletter

© Copyright 2025 · Ann Wylie · All Rights Reserved
May not be duplicated and shared without author's permission. Contact us.