What is Syntax?
The arrangement of words and phrases to create well-formed sentences in a language.
Unscrambling the Jumble: Understanding Syntax for Creative Writing Success
Syntax is the framework upon which our language is built, determining the way we order words and phrases to express our ideas. For creative writers, an understanding of syntax is essential to the crafting of compelling prose that is both grammatically sound and aesthetically pleasing. A skilled writer manipulates sentence structure in order to convey meaning, create atmosphere, and evoke emotion in their readers. By experimenting with different syntactical arrangements, writers can achieve a variety of effects - ranging from the clarity of a straightforward subject-verb-object structure to the complexity of a multilayered sentence packed with subclauses and modifiers. Understanding syntax allows a writer tremendous power to create vivid, memorable characters and settings that resonate with readers long after they've closed the book.
From Jane Austen to William Faulkner, writers have used syntax to manipulate language and convey meaning in creative ways. Here are two examples of how sentence structure affects meaning in literature.
In The Name of the Wind, Patrick Rothfuss uses syntax to evoke the hypnotic, almost musical, quality of his protagonist Kvothe's storytelling: 'It was night again. The Waystone Inn lay in silence, and it was a silence of three parts.' Note how Rothfuss employs a series of parallel constructions to create a sense of rhythm and repetition that echoes the story within the story that Kvothe is telling.
In To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee uses syntax to emphasize the importance of Scout's change from child to adult narrator: 'When he was nearly thirteen, my brother Jem got his arm badly broken at the elbow...Now he was simply Jem.' Lee uses the short, clipped sentences to build up tension and create a sense of abrupt change, underscoring the significance of Jem's injury as a turning point in the narrative.