Readability & Structure
Pacing Variance
Measure sentence-length variation and subordination ratio — the "heartbeat" of your prose.
What It Does
Computes statistical measures of sentence rhythm across the document:
- Monotone detection — flags text where the coefficient of variation (CV) of sentence lengths is too low, meaning all sentences are nearly the same length
- Rolling window analysis — detects flat stretches within otherwise varied prose
- Subordination ratio — measures the balance between parataxis (simple, short sentences) and hypotaxis (complex, subordinated sentences)
Why It Matters
Healthy prose "breathes" — short sentences for urgency, long ones for reflection. The research calls this the "heartbeat metric." When the heartbeat flatlines (low CV), the prose feels monotonous regardless of content. The subordination ratio reveals writing style: heavy parataxis creates a Hemingway-esque staccato effect, while heavy hypotaxis creates Proustian density.
What Gets Flagged
Monotone Pacing
Severity: Information
Example (flagged):
Pacing variance: sentence lengths are monotone (paratactic: avg 5 words, CV=0.15). Healthy prose "breathes" with varied sentence lengths.
Why: All sentences hover around the same word count. The prose lacks rhythmic variety.
Flat Stretches (Rolling Window)
Severity: Hint
Detected when a 10-sentence window has notably lower variance than the document average — a localized "dead zone" in an otherwise varied text.
Subordination Ratio
Severity: Hint
| Ratio | Style | Flagged when |
|---|---|---|
| < 0.02 | Highly paratactic | Almost no connecting words; staccato effect |
| > 0.15 | Highly hypotactic | Heavy subordination; Proustian density |
Example (paratactic):
He ran. She followed. The door opened. They entered. It was dark. They stopped.
Example (hypotactic):
Because he had known, even before the letter arrived, that the situation would require him to make a choice, although he had hoped, since the beginning, that such a moment would never come, he paused.
Configuration
No configuration options.
Technical Details
- Source:
prose-craft - Scope: Document-level with rolling windows
- Minimum text: 10 sentences
- Method: Coefficient of variation for sentence lengths; regex for subordinating conjunctions (because, although, while, since, etc.)