How to Write sentences with Resonant Points.

In crafting organic sentences, the first thing one needs to remember is that a good sentence usually reveals more than one "idea" in it.    Basic sentences have one plot point, someone did something--that's it, but great sentences often hint at other ideas beyond just the subject took a walk or did something.

When writing a sentence, a writer should craft a sentence  for two resonant points, meaning the first point, the subject's actions and secondarily perhaps something deeper, beyond the ordinary, that might be hidden, something perhaps dealing with emotion, or yearning, or the character of the person.  A good writer knows that no sentence is throw away, so in crafting sentences, he will give the reader at least two (maybe more) points to think about.

Here's an example: (It's famous so get ready.)

In a hole in the ground there lived a Hobbit.

This is such an excellent crafted line because one, the 1st resonant point is that there was a Hobbit and he lived in a hole.   What follows this are some of the most amazing sentences ever, because they go on to reveal that yes, his house is a hole, but there is a sublevel in how he lives, that his "living" is not really a pleasent living, its more a "living" death.  If you read the first five paragraphs of the Hobbit you'll see what i mean, which describes every bit of the house of this paricular Hobbit, but the first sentence we see the keys to how this sentence has more than one resonant point.

Notice the words I have underlined for you, which become the basics of how Resonant this sentence is.

1.  His home is literally in a hole.  Tolkien explains later what the hole is like, but one we associate holes as not good.  Tolkien will explain some of the good things about this hole, but as he does, if you are paying attention will start to notice that the good things, specifically the use of the word "hole" start to resemble something else.

2.  The ground.  (This is a place associated with death, in the earth, which in itself has very down to earth meanings, but mostly it is associated with things of death.  Things that live in the ground also struggle with being alive, and we associate them more with death then we do life.)

3.  The word "lived" is used.  Past Simple.  Meaning this is what was.  From here we will move foward, but lived implies current, though you will see how he lives, and you might make a decision as to whether this person is actually "living."

4.  Lastly the word "Hobbit" is very important because it is new.  It requires some explanation.  And Tolkien will explain it in the paragraphs that follows.  Every single one of these words is continually addressed.  Every one of these choices creates a "Resonant Point"  and there are in fact four in this sentence.  The Hole and the Ground, are in fact two different resonant points, as are the terms "lived" and "Hobbit."

For our purposes we should always try to create two resonant points, and here is how we start.

1.  Word Choice.  (We choose words that reflect the emotions we feel as we write.  Not only as the writer, but what is the emotion of what is going on in the story specifically:  what is happeneing and what will happen. (Only the author has some idea, but the words we use should reflect what we feel like saying.)  By the way lived, being Past Simple Tense also implies that the way he once lived, has now changed.  If you've read the Hobbit or even seen the movie--you know what Tolkien did and you know that the "character" is no longer that way anymore.   The descriptions of his life, after are what he does now, whereas in the beginning all we see are the "things" he collected with no signifigance.

In the Film, he is shown writing, the oppulance and abundance of his "hole" is shown in a different light almost like he didn't get back all the excess that was taken from him, in fact the opening of the next book, The Lord of the Rings tells us of his gifts to the people who robbed him.

2.  Organic Writing:  Study the Rule of Thirds, then apply the concepts to sentences.  Think of each sentence as a picture of a piece of art and with each sentece, you move closer and closer to the image, revealing more of the image.  Try to create depth by adding three things in the first sentence.  A place, a person (and his action) and an object (Acted Upon.)  Then remember that each sentence does not stand by itself and should be connected to the next subject unless the subject changes.

3. Write mostly sentences that have a Coordinating Conjunction in them so you are forced to actually add two different resonant points, or at least add commentary on the first point.

Example:
Tom was a ranch hand who lived to wrangle cows and sleep under the starlight, but contrary to these things, he was far from being a cowboy and much closer to the title, boy.

Here is an opening excercise where I write up an event and ever sentence has a coordinating conjunction in it:

Example:

As Sarah stood in the park she looked at me, and her eyes burned red.   

She dragged and clawed the gold diamond ring off of her index finger, threw it at me and lifted her middle finger for emphasis.

 

The ring landed in a black puddle in front of me, and the dirty mud-stained water splashed over my face and shoes.    

“I’m leaving now you Prick, “ she said, and she turned on her heel and walked steadily across the park to her car.  

 In that moment, the world seemed less that real through an overcast and stained horizon, and the sky itself darkened and started raining.  

 “I didn’t mean to,” was what I wanted to say to her, but I turned my head to the puddle, and watched as the gold ring sank deeper into the mud.