A Balancing Act
"Most writers strive for variety in their use of syntax; for example, striking effects can be created from varying long, complex sentences with short, simple ones" (Hamilton 191)
I know for a fact that I don't want to read 200 pages full of four-line long sentences. Not only does it make annotating and highlighting sentences more annoying, long sentences make it annoying to just read it. And then, if a paragraph is written with just short simple, 4- or 5-word sentences, it makes me feel like the author has dumbed down his/her writing for the reader. I definitely feel that there should be a good balance between complex and simple sentences. I try to balance them when I write papers, blogs, and stories, but I do admit that sometimes I just don't know when to shut up and put a period in and it turns into one super-gigantic-long run-on sentence that drives the reader crazy like I'm sure this sentence is driving you crazy right now.
I know for a fact that I don't want to read 200 pages full of four-line long sentences. Not only does it make annotating and highlighting sentences more annoying, long sentences make it annoying to just read it. And then, if a paragraph is written with just short simple, 4- or 5-word sentences, it makes me feel like the author has dumbed down his/her writing for the reader. I definitely feel that there should be a good balance between complex and simple sentences. I try to balance them when I write papers, blogs, and stories, but I do admit that sometimes I just don't know when to shut up and put a period in and it turns into one super-gigantic-long run-on sentence that drives the reader crazy like I'm sure this sentence is driving you crazy right now.
I agree, when an author only uses simple sentences, their writing sounds choppy. However, when an author uses complex sentences, it is hard to follow and confusing.