S.P.I.N. Framework
Been reviewing my Model Sentences project lately and stumbled upon a framework that I think might be helpful.
Great exercise to prime your imagination.
Handy tool for use in the classroom.
The S.P.I.N. Sentence Framework - How to Reverse-Engineer Great Sentences to Improve Your Writing
A four part framework to analyze great lines from fiction (and could be used on great non-fiction lines, too) and to apply the technique to your own writing.
S.P.I.N. stands for:
Structure
Purpose
Imagery
Nuance
Let’s break it down with a model sentence.
Model Sentence:
“She had learned how to carry silence like a blade.”
On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong
S = Structure
What’s the shape of the sentence? How is it built?
This sentence is compact and declarative.
It uses past perfect (“had learned”) to hint at a backstory.
The simile (“like a blade”) is held until the end, making it land with force.
Takeaway: When you place your metaphor at the end of a sentence, you build toward impact, like winding up for a punch.
P = Purpose
What job is this sentence doing in the story?
It reveals a character transformation.
It suggests this woman has been hardened by experience.
It adds emotional weight without directly stating trauma.
Takeaway: Great sentences often suggest rather than tell. They do emotional work with precision tools.
I = Imagery
What sensory or figurative language makes this line vivid?
“Silence” becomes an object, something you carry.
“Like a blade” transforms silence into a weapon.
It’s an elegant contradiction. Silence is soft, but here it’s sharp.
Takeaway: Pairing abstract nouns (“silence”) with concrete, dangerous images (“blade”) creates tension and surprise.
N = Nuance
What voice, rhythm, or subtlety elevates this line?
The sentence is quiet but dangerous. Just like the woman.
Poetic economy. Seven words, zero waste.
The rhythm makes it feel steady and controlled.
Takeaway: Don’t just say what something is. Let the feeling of the sentence match the emotion behind it.
Try This
Take a sentence you’ve already written and S.P.I.N. it:
Structure: Could the syntax be more surprising or rhythmic?
Purpose: Is the sentence doing narrative or emotional work?
Imagery: Can you swap in a metaphor or detail that sharpens it?
Nuance: Can you cut one word and make it more powerful?
Optional Prompt
Write your own version of this sentence using S.P.I.N.:
“She had learned how to carry ______ like a ______.”
