If you are using figurative language, is it appropriate and consistent? Does it match the tone and mood of a scene?įor example, if you describe the way a character chews as being like bombs exploding, this might feel out of place in a simple, low-intensity family scene. Ensure figurative language is appropriate to the tone and mood of a scene Make sure sentences and paragraphs flow to create clear sense. If it says ‘archaic’ next to it, think twice about using it in a contemporary setting where it will feel dated and will lend to a purple effect. When in doubt about a complex word, look it up in a dictionary. If every other word has four or more syllables, it’s possible your writing will read as striving to be literary and purple. If every other word is a scientific or antiquated word, writing becomes hard to wade through. The problem with overly ornate or purple prose is it makes a story hard to read. Ask whether sentences aid or frustrate readers’ understanding

So, how do you separate purple prose from poetic prose? 2. At its worst, purple prose is unintentionally hilarious as evidenced by the success each year of the Bulwer-Lytton fiction contest that parodies the work of a nineteenth-century writer particularly known for his overly effusive writing. Purple prose can also be prose that is inappropriate for the genre or type of scene that’s being described. The way her hair hung across her bare neck caught his eye.’ ‘Her voluminous follicles cascaded down her blushing epidermis of the neck, catching his desirous eye.’Ī very ornate, pompous way to say that a character finds the way a characters hair gathers at the nape of her neck is attractive! A not-purple edit: Purple prose is writing that is unnecessarily wordy, uses metaphors and other figurative language badly, and draws attention to itself. It sticks out as over-elaborate in a way that detracts from the story. The first thing to understand about purple prose is that it is not the same thing as prose that is complex, lyrical or experimental. Understand the difference between purple prose and complex writingīecause of everything negative that has been said about purple prose, many aspiring authors mistake this for meaning that the only good writing is simple. How can you distinguish between good writing and purple prose? Read tips to avoid purple prose in your own work: 1. The Oxford English Dictionary defines purple prose as ‘writing that is too elaborate or ornate’. What is purple prose? It describes sentences that are too mannered and stylized.

Lyrical writing v s purple prose