Can someone explain "Sticky Sentences"?

[Guru Coyote]

Hello fellow Scribes,

I've been using the Pro Writing Aid tool a lot lately, and to great success. One of the main features I tend to start with is the "Sticky Sentence Finder". http://prowritingaid.com/

While this is a great help, I'd like to understand it better, so I can avoid those kinds of senteces from the start.

Is there a good, simple explanation for the concepts fo "sticky sentences" and "glue index"?

Also, another question would be: How serious should one take this issue? I notice that a lot of my more sticky sentences are in dialog... what if my characters just talk like that?

 

[Kit]

I find that when I read something over aloud, it is easier to notice that I (for instance) used the word "sticky" three times in four paragraphs, and need to fix it.

My most common, guilty sin is falling into a repetitive, annoying pattern of using two redundant, descriptive adjectives before each valid, true noun.

Reading aloud, I can hear that ol' two-step rhythm and it's like, Dang, there I go again. Time to get out the adjective-whacker.

 

[Graylorne]

I use Pro Writing too. I find sticky sentences contain in general grammatical errors, that makes the sentences unclear and overly complicated. So I make it a point to correct them (at least most of the time). It makes the writing easier to understand and more pleasant to read.

To understand them, cut the offending sentence in pieces and tinker with the words until the program passes them. Then you'll know what was wrong.

Somethimes I feel my version is more what I want to say and then I'll leave it for my beta reader or my editor to commend on.

All in all I find it a very useful tool. I use Sticky, Adverbs, Consistency most.

Phew, my English isn't really up to explaining this more clearly...

 

[Ankari]

From the website itself:

Sticky sentences are ones containing a high percentage of sticky words. Sticky words are the 200 or so most common words in English (excluding the personal pronouns). Sticky words are generally used to link nouns, verbs, adverbs and adjectives. Almost every document could benefit from a reduction in the number of sticky words. ProWritingAid highlights sticky sentences to help you improve your writing. Hover over the sentence to see the percentage of sticky words.

Words are what drive your writing. You should always strive to use strong verbs and reduce your reliance on adjectives. You can think of the glue words as the empty space in your writing. The more of them there are the more empty space you readers have to pass through to get to the actual meaning. By cutting down the amount of sticky words in your sentences you help expose the true meaning and make the reader's job easier.

The sticky sentence report will highlight any sentences in your writing that contains a high percentage of sticky words. It will also highlight those sticky words for you. Try and reduce the number of sticky words in your sentence to improve its clarity.

Example

Original: I was able to use the information that I have in my files and spoke to a number of people about the problem and managed to resolve the problem.

Glue Words: 58% - Sentence Length 29 words

Redraft: I resolved the problem using my contacts and the available information.

Glue Words: 36% - Sentence Length 11 words

The redraft saves 18 words in a 29-word sentence.

 

[Steerpike]

I find these tools, generally speaking, to be somewhat suspect. I suppose they can be useful in moderation or with a heavy dose of skepticism and a strong independent streak on the part of the author. I don't know that I've used this one specifically, so I'm speaking in general terms. I'll have to check this site out. Often, I'll put in excerpts from famous authors that I also personally like a lot. Often, the electronic tool comes back with all sorts of criticism and highlighting of 'bad' writing, and then I know to disregard it. The problem with the tools I've seen is that they can't contextualize the elements of the language like a human can. So they may point out adverbs, but they have no capacity to determine whether the use is good or bad in a given instance. The real benefit they offer is self-awareness; the potential downside is that the writer may automatically assume the electronic tool is right.

 

[Graylorne]

The usefuleness of this tool is not that it 's right, but that it points out I could be wrong. It says 'here is adverb and here, and here. Do you really want them?' That tells me what to check and what not. To me it doesn't replace a human editor, but it does lessen the amount of work this person will have with my text. That is what a tool like Pro Writing is designed for.

It could well be that the usefulness is different for me as a non-native english speaker, than it would be for those who are.

Sticky Sentences for example is great. It shows me a lot of mistakes a native speaker probably wouldn't make.

Adverbs is nice, because it makes visible how many creep into a text unnoticed. I'm not an advocate for kicking them out regardless, but it enables me to judge better which ones I want to keep. And to have Passive Voice pointed out is handy where I didn't do it on purpose.

Consistency, well, you now the difference between tomatoes, I who was brought up in school with British english, find it handy to this tool corrects me now I'm wring in American english.

So that's why I use it. For others it will probably be different.

 

[Ankari]

The real benefit they offer is self-awareness; the potential downside is that the writer may automatically assume the electronic tool is right.

And this is the only way to use such tools. This rule applies to everything else an author may use to hone his skills. Beta reader feedback, writing workshops, edits from an editor, etc.

 

[Graylorne]

And this is the only way to use such tools. This rule applies to everything else an author may use to hone his skills. Beta reader feedback, writing workshops, edits from an editor, etc.

True, although edits from your publisher's editor tend to have a high level of obligation. That's in your contract.

 

[BWFoster78]

After running a scene through Pro Writing Aid, I'll usually make three or four changes. The program "suggests" many more than that.

As others have said, it's a tool to tell you where things might be wrong. Use your judgment.

 

[Guru Coyote]

Okay, this thread turned into a discussion pro/con automated editing tools... which was not my intention.

As others have said, it's a tool to tell you where things might be wrong. Use your judgment.

Building my judgment was the original intent of my quesiton

Right now, what I can do is test my sentences with this tool, see what it suggests, tweak, and try again. And try to slowly build a 'feeling' for non sticky sentences. I'd like to be able to identify them on my own...

 

[ThinkerX]

I've noticed that quite a bit of published fiction includes what this program would call 'sticky sentences' - often to marvellous effect.

 

[Guru Coyote]

So maybe the following is a useful approach for those of us who are not all that confident in their own best judgment:

1. Write a first draft.
2. Run it thrugh Pro Writing Aid or similar, try to correct the issues it points out. (trying to make PWA happy has made me think really hard about some of my senteces, and I think that is always a good thing)
3. With this revised draft, go through the text with a reader's mind, and see if you can improve the tension, pacing, clarity etc.
4. Do NOT run the results of 3. through the tool again.