hasparus Write Music
Five same-length sentences in a row drone. The ear demands variety. Mix short, medium, and long sentences so prose has rhythm — a lilt, a harmony.
The principle
Short sentences punch. Medium ones carry explanation with a comfortable pace. Long sentences — used sparingly, when the reader is rested — build momentum, layer ideas, and create the crescendo that says listen to this, it is important.
Monotony comes from repetition of any single length. Five short sentences bore. Five long ones exhaust. The music comes from the mix.
How to apply
- After drafting a paragraph, scan sentence lengths. If 3+ consecutive sentences share roughly the same word count, rewrite to vary them.
- Follow a long sentence with a short one. Or a fragment. Then ease back into medium length.
- One-word or two-word sentences are valid. "Music." "Now listen." They create emphasis through contrast.
- Read the text aloud in your head. If the rhythm feels flat, it probably is.
When reviewing existing text
Point out passages where sentence length is monotonous. Quote the passage, then show a revised version with varied rhythm. Explain what changed and why it reads better.
Checking rhythm with a script
Run scripts/check-rhythm.ts (in this skill's directory) to visualize sentence
lengths and detect monotonous runs:
bun run <skill-dir>/scripts/check-rhythm.ts <file>
echo "your text here" | bun run <skill-dir>/scripts/check-rhythm.ts
It prints a bar chart of word counts per sentence and flags 3+ consecutive sentences within 3 words of each other. Use it to back up your intuition with data before suggesting edits.
Scope
This is about rhythm, not content. Don't change meaning, tone, or technical accuracy to chase sentence variety. When writing technical docs where precision matters, rhythm still helps — but clarity wins every conflict.