The Comma as a Musical Rest

The Rhythm of Thought

I spent the better part of an hour today moving a single comma. To an observer, this might look like indecision; to a writer, it is a matter of ensuring the reader takes a breath at exactly the right moment.

A comma is the prose equivalent of a musical rest. It provides the necessary friction that prevents a sentence from collapsing into a race. When we place a comma, we are asking the reader to pause, to let the preceding phrase settle, and to prepare for what follows. If your prose feels breathless, it is rarely because the sentences are too long—it is because you haven’t given the reader a place to inhale.

The Monroe Minute
Read a paragraph aloud. Mark every place where you naturally pause for breath. If there isn’t a comma there, consider adding one.

Until the next page,
Sloane S. Monroe

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Sloane Shay Monroe

I don’t write to idealize love, but to explore it honestly, with emotional precision and depth.