: Re: How do you avoid purple prose? I try to watch out for bland, overused adjectives and I keep adverbs to a minimum but -- I hear this phrase a lot and I'm not even sure what it means?

In its broadest sense, I would define purple prose as excessive and imprecise description.

Adjectives and adverbs often qualify, as Final Draft illustrated, because a weak adjective + noun combo can be replaced by a single, stronger noun, and a weak adverb + verb combo can be replaced by single stronger verb.

This principle can be applied to almost anything, not just adjectives and adverbs. Look for vague or overly verbose phrases and try to come up with precise, tighter alternatives.

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: Techniques for writing internal monologue I've seen the thoughts of a character written in a few different ways: Example 1: Indirect Ender liked it better, though, when two boys played against

@Cugini967

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: Expositing a lack of racial difference I have a story set in a fantasy-Africa, in which the protagonist must make her way from her rural home to a coastal city in order to seek medical treatment

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: You've already read a lot, which is a good thing. I suspect what you're missing at this point is reading to learn: taking something that you love which is well-written, and tearing it apart

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: Waiting for response to full MS About three months ago, an agent that I had queried responded with a request for the full manuscript of the novel that I had written to her about. It's now

: Re: How do you avoid purple prose? I try to watch out for bland, overused adjectives and I keep adverbs to a minimum but -- I hear this phrase a lot and I'm not even sure what it means?

More posts by @Cugini967

: Techniques for writing internal monologue I've seen the thoughts of a character written in a few different ways: Example 1: Indirect Ender liked it better, though, when two boys played against

: Expositing a lack of racial difference I have a story set in a fantasy-Africa, in which the protagonist must make her way from her rural home to a coastal city in order to seek medical treatment

: You've already read a lot, which is a good thing. I suspect what you're missing at this point is reading to learn: taking something that you love which is well-written, and tearing it apart

: Waiting for response to full MS About three months ago, an agent that I had queried responded with a request for the full manuscript of the novel that I had written to her about. It's now

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