There is a rhythm to the written word, a rhythm that has obvious importance in poetry, but is equally important in prose. I recognize it when I read it. It entices me away from distractions and makes me take notice. That one sentence – simplicity within swirls of symbols each pulling meaning from the page in ways that squeeze the heart.
Sometimes in memoir classes such a sentence appears when I am reading the assigned exercises. And in that moment I become aware that the writer possesses a depth I want to explore. The memoir comes alive.
When writing about childhood, school days, that special trip or the person who changed a life, play with the words. Combine them in ways that give fresh meaning. Explore, and pull the reader with rhythm.