#pretty prose

[thesargasmicgoddess]

[snippets-from-my-mind]

"She was a corpse that hadn’t caught up to the fact that her heart had been dug out and eaten, dripping like a fruit. "

— The Library at Hellebore, by Cassandra Khaw

[clovelarch]

Ornate writing that's not pretty prose

We've all been adviced against using purple prose or pretty prose in our writing, and I do go by that statement- pretty prose is like studding a frying pan with rhinestones. Sure you might've bedazzled it but it's deprived of its functionality.

Pretty prose distracts the reader from the soul of your book.

But that does not mean your writing can't be lyrical or descriptive. There's a fine line between lyrical writing and purple prose. But there are simple ways to enhance your description and prose without it being overly decorated and distracting.

TIPS TO WRITE LYRICALLY WITHOUT IT BEING PURPLE

Play around with words : for enhancing description, you don't have to use words that only an oxford graduate will understand. Instead be creative with your combination of words. For instance, when writing the description of a sunlight, instead of using adjectives like bright, shiny, golden etc. try to use words which you won't at first think of using in this scenario - like strands of sunlight, or a splatter of sunlight.

Pay attention to the when's and where's: it's important to pay attention to where you want to elaborate and where you want to keep it simple. You probably shouldn't be describing that park bench that your characters will sit in once and never visit again. But you might want to describe it if that park bench is where the story takes place - if it has emotional significance to the story or the description is necessary to the plot. Don't go elaborating the setting in the middle of an action scene. But if it's your characters just entered a misty forest that's about to change their lives - go ahead. Use all your creative energy.

Describe feelings rather than appearance: you can write prettily when describing how your character is feeling rather than how your character or their surroundings look. Say your characters depression is like being trapped in a tangle of ivy, or how your character feel like they inhaled stardust when they see their loved one. Concentrate on their feelings.

[wordsspilled]

A lil something

[bellaroles]

Have been trying to read This Is How You Lose the Time War. I kind of get it why this book is so popular. But I'm also kind of struggle to understand the time-traveling warfare thing.

[thereadingmoon]

In memory of a post that celebrated purple prose, unusual metaphors, and over-detailed descriptions—

I kindly ask readers to share their favorite examples of pretty prose from a book, story, or novel! I love being in awe of beautiful sentences.

If you’re a writer, then you have the choice of putting in the most wonderful sentence you’re proud of creating!

[literanarchy]

The trees are revealing their structures. There’s the catch of fire in the air. All the souls are out marauding. But there are roses, there are still roses. In the damp and the cold, on a bush that looks done, there’s a wide-open rose, still.

Autumn by Ali Smith

[thesargasmicgoddess]

“I with a deeper instinct, choose a man who compels my strength, who makes enormous demands on me, who does not doubt my courage or my toughness, who does not believe me innocent or naïve, who has the courage to treat me like a woman.”

~Anaïs Nin