How paragraphs and sentences are ordered matter.

[melchi]

What if I told you, 80% of the stuff you write that people read they forget?

This is why it is important to make the important 20% stick out as best it can.

EX: The quick brown cow munched on grass while an anon shouted about imposters. (BAD)
--well unless the cow is more important than the anon.

Rule: The stuff in the first part of the sentence pops more. So if the goal is to put the spotlight on the anon, and not the cow, structure the sentence so the anon is first.

EX: Anon shouted about imposters, but the brown cow continued munching on grass.

The same applies about paragraphs. The first sentence is the one that pops the most. Yeah, that advise your english teacher gave you about writing essays? It can be used in writing paragraphs in fictions too!

EX: Vampires stalked the night. Cows munched on grass, while someone, off in the distance an anon protested imposters. Both the cow and vampire ignored him.

This paragraph has the biggest spotlight on vampire, if the reader is supposed to take away that anon is protesting imposters that should go first.

Make sense?

 

[JayMark]

Yes. I find I violated this principle when looking at my drafts. Then I go and fix it.

The cow is obviously more important here.

 

[Envylope]

This is why it's important to use active voice. The person doing the action should be towards the beginning of the sentence in most cases.

Anon shot Envy.

(Anon is the subject shooting me.)

Anon was shot by Envy.

(This is a bad sentence because Envy is the one shooting, but she is after.)

Use this principle to make sentences where the subject doing the action is first, and then you can make more complex sentences afterwards. You can use opening phrases or closing phrases.

In the midst of day, Anon shot Envy.

Anon shot Envy in the midst of day.

Every sentence I write tries to abide this principle nowadays but not always, since I am sometimes lazy.

 

[CharlesEBrown]

It was a dark and stormy night. Suddenly a shot rang out. A pirate ship appeared on the horizon.

 

[Envylope]

It was a dark and stormy night. Suddenly a shot rang out. A pirate ship appeared on the horizon.

Rain splashed against the ocean's surface, and thunder roared in the night. A shot rang out.

A pirate ship appeared on the horizon.

 

[CharlesEBrown]

Rain splashed against the ocean's surface, and thunder roared in the night. A shot rang out.

A pirate ship appeared on the horizon.

Except the pretty nurse is the only important part, and she hasn't even shown up yet!

 

[Envylope]

Except the pretty nurse is the only important part, and she hasn't even shown up yet!

Rain splashed against the ocean's surface, and thunder roared in the night. A shot rang out.

A pirate ship appeared on the horizon.

"Aye," the captain said. "That be thy vessel."

"What's her name cap'n?" The crew man asked.

The captain looked at the ship with a twinkle in his eye, remembering his days with her fondly. Before she became a ship of the enemy.

"Aye, 'er name be Pretty Nurse, maties. I rolled 'er in a gacha, 'fore I learned to sail the high seas."