Shel Silverstein’s Where the Sidewalk Ends “resonates because Silverstein wrote for the ear. Purposeful rhythm. Calculated pace. Challenging riffs. Delightful melodies. Words selected as much for their sound as their meaning.” —Jack Hamann, “For the ear — Writing with rhythm,” The Writer, July 2015

 

Tips to make writing stronger, inspired by Jack Hamann, “For the ear.”

• Vary pace – “bookend longer sentences with short, rhythmic declarations.”
• Use a thesaurus.
• Use alliteration (see below).
• Give weak verbs the boot.
• Omit unnecessary words, especially “the.”
• Read aloud. You’ll notice places that need tweaking.

Alliteration is a stylistic device in which a number of words, having the same first consonant sound, occur close together in a series: But a better butter makes a batter better.

Marlene’s Musings: Have fun with this. Choose a prompt and write. Then, revise, using the tips above.