What is cadence in writing?
Cadence refers to the flow of your writing. It’s dictated by how long sentences last. Which words you choose. How often you use conjunctions. Many people overlook it. But it’s a vital part of copywriting.
As you may (or may not) have noticed from that first paragraph, it had quite a specific cadence. Every sentence was very short, and there wasn’t a single comma used in the entire thing. And as you may (or may not) have noticed here, this paragraph has an altogether different cadence. The sentences are longer, the words are longer, I’m using plenty of commas, and it makes for a different reading experience in general. Now let’s try that first paragraph in this cadence:
Cadence refers to the flow of your writing. It dictates how long your sentences last, how long your words are and how often you use conjunctions. And although many people overlook it, it’s a vital part of copywriting - and writing in general.
Can you see the difference?
Neither of these approaches are necessarily right or wrong. They’re just an example of how the cadence of a piece of writing can be different even when the content is the same.
The factors that influence cadence
Cadence is a difficult thing to identify, because it’s not something you can easily measure. Writing that has a good cadence just feels right. It’s more about rhythm and flow than word count or line breaks.
HOWEVER, cadence in writing is generally dictated by:
- sentence length and complexity
- word length and complexity
- the use of fillers and/or connecting words
- paragraph length
- vibes
All of these things together make up cadence. And getting a grip of it can really take your writing to the next level.
The importance of cadence
Cadence in writing is important because it makes your work easier to read and engage with. People shouldn’t have to work hard to read your work - a piece of writing with a good cadence should flow naturally from one sentence to the next.
Let’s take the following paragraph as an example:
Give yourself a present every day. Don’t plan it. Don’t wait for it. Just let it happen. It could be a new shirt. It could be a catnap in your office chair. It could be two cups of black coffee.
The words and sentences in this example are extremely short. It’s very simple and even a little abrupt in places. But although many modern copywriters would argue this is the best way to write for a digital audience, I disagree. Let’s see what happens when we mix things up:
Every day, once a day, give yourself a present. Don’t plan it. Don’t wait for it. Just let it happen. It could be a new shirt at the men’s store, a catnap in your office chair, or two cups of good, hot, black, coffee.
In this case I think the second version reads much better. The sentence lengths vary, which keeps the reader engaged. The extra adjectives have a much greater effect because they’re used sparingly before that. And it just flows better in general: each line flows into the next one, and the reader can keep reading without pausing for a sentence break every few words.
Even tiny changes like these can really transform a piece of writing. Good cadence can make your writing easier to read, more effective and more memorable. It can take your writing from a generic piece of internet content to something that really stands out from the crowd.
How to improve your writing cadence
When it comes to writing, it’s important to have a wide-ranging vocabulary, know your subject matter, and understand the rules of spelling and grammar. But those things alone won’t make you a good writer.
Because if you don’t understand cadence, you don’t understand writing. People simply won’t engage with a piece of writing that doesn’t have a good cadence. It’s essential for keeping the reader interested and engaged with your work. Basically, a good cadence makes your writing easier to read.
So how do you improve the cadence of your own work? Here are a few tips:
- Vary the length and complexity of your words. Stuff your writing with too many complex words and it will become too difficult to read. Your reader will start glossing over the longer, complex words, and they won’t have any effect on them. But throw in a long word every now and again, and it’ll have way more impact on the reader.
- Vary your sentence length. A good cadence keeps the reader guessing. If every sentence is the same length, their mind goes into autopilot. They won’t take things in, and the words stop having an effect on them. But if each sentence differs in length and complexity, the reader will subconsciously pay more attention to them.
- Use connecting words as often as possible. Don’t be afraid to add extra connecting words to your copy (e.g. although, because, as, therefore…). They help to link contrasting ideas and arguments whilst making your writing more cohesive.
- Read your copy out loud. One great way of assessing your cadence is by reading your copy out loud. That way, you can tell whether it seems too abrupt, or the sentences too long, or the words too long. Edit until it sounds more natural.
- Know when it’s time to stop. Over time you should get a sense of when it’s time for a sentence or paragraph to end. Sometimes, a four word sentence will suffice. Other times, it might take four lines to explain what you’re thinking. Keep reading, keep writing, and over time you’ll start to recognise what a good cadence looks and feels like for you.
TL;DR
Cadence refers to the flow or rhythm of a piece of writing. It’s dictated by things like sentence length, word complexity, and the use of fillers/conjunctions. Writing with a good cadence is vital because it makes your writing easier to read and engage with. If your work doesn’t have a good cadence then you will struggle to keep the reader interested.
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