see scene length graph and scene outlier table and Scene Lead Character Frequency.

paragraphs

• Longer Paragraphs (Sentences per Paragraph) often are used in scenes of:
  • Character milieu introduction e.g., Brendan and Katie circumstances
  • Internal character musings, reflection, or reaction to recent events, e.g., Dave no dialogue.
  • Emotional reflective dialogue, e.g., Sean and his parents
  • Major plot events, e.g., Dave's murder. (also, longer scenes by word length).

• Shorter Paragraphs (S / P) scenes are often used in shorter length scenes for:
  • Prelude set ups to accentuate suspense prior to a major conflict or reveal (Sean in the Woods awaiting Jimmy)
  • Emotional reaction interludes (Jimmy at the morgue, Brendan dreaming of Katie)

sentences

• Longer words per sentence scenes often include:
  • Internal character musings recall of back story, e.g., Jimmy at daughter's communion, Dave in the bar.
  • Wrestling with quandaries, Celeste, and her doubts about Dave.

• Shorter words per sentence scenes often include:
  • Action in major plot points with short dialogue, e.g., Dave's abduction, Brendan interrogation with major reveal
  • Confrontation setup preludes (as with shorter paragraphs, more dialogue)

scenes (words length)

• Longer Scenes are often used in scenes of:
  • Major plot events
  • Character and emotional setting introductions
  • Quandaries, decision points
  • Multi-character event review, e.g., Whitey, Sean, and police bosses,
• Shorter Scenes can include:
  • Dream Emotional accentuations, e.g., Brendan, Jimmy dream about Katie,
  • Plot acceleration, foreshadowed events finally happen, e.g., Katie's bloody car found.
  • Pre-confrontation set ups, see above, Sean in the woods,
  • Emotional internal conflict, Celeste in the motel room, running away,
  • Quick information reveals, e.g., Ray Harris' gun.
  • Re-emphasis of emotional plot point, e.g., Jimmy in morgue

Monotonicity

• It is implied that intermediate scenes blend a mixture of verbsity techniques while major plot events, reveals, and emotional reactions tend to monotonic homogeneous application of sentence, paragraph, and scene extenuation or contraction. Lehane shortens and lengthens elements with purpose.This is visible both outside the scene in plot structure, ad within the scene based on author intentions.