Well maybe Cormac McCarthy can get away with it, but I shouldn’t try.
Got on Spinning a little bit ago to do some visiting of the links (it’s easier now for me to do it this way rather than keep pulling down my Favorites list, and that is another reason why the links open in a new window rather than a new page–it’s all done for my convenience, I guess!) and just reread briefly my last couple of posts. Now this has been one of my main technical flaws in writing since forever, but I’m at my most eloquent, or so I think, in paragraph-long sentences. I had managed to break the habit a bit through the courses I’ve taken in reading and writing, but some old habits die hard.
Maybe allowing myself a little poetry now and then will train me in the right direction with compression of words and finding the vital imagery that’s just as important in short story narrative.
I must remember the rule: Less is more.
Cormac McCarthy can do whatever he wants. He’s good enough to get away with it.
The Lost Children: A Charity Anthology
“Omit needless words.” Was there ever a more perfect sentence on writing sentences? Thank you, Strunk & White! But sometimes a paragraph-long sentence flows, then it is good, yes? Enjoying your blog!