Brief Summary
This video provides advice on how to improve prose in writing, focusing on clarity, rhythm, and avoiding common pitfalls. It emphasizes reading widely, dramatizing scenes, using strong verbs, and expanding vocabulary. The video also covers avoiding purple prose and filter words, and tailoring metaphors to character interests.
- Focus on clarity and rhythm in prose.
- Avoid repetitive sentence structures and word usage.
- Use strong verbs and eliminate filter words.
- Tailor metaphors to character interests.
- Read widely and practice writing exercises.
Intro
Lindy Jung introduces the topic of improving prose, noting it's a skill she has personally struggled with since starting to write at a young age. The goal is to help writers achieve prose that feels good, reads smoothly, and avoids repetition, ultimately fitting the writer's vision.
Why I’m Speaking (Mostly) From Personal Experience Today
Due to the subjective nature of good prose, the advice is based on personal experience. The aim is to resonate with viewers and offer helpful insights.
Issues I’ve Seen in My Writing
Lindy identifies her common issues: repetitive writing, overuse of certain words and verbs, simplistic sentence structures, and difficulty creating fresh metaphors. She aims for writing that flows beautifully, evokes imagery without being verbose, and uses precise word choice to create emotion. She values writing that immerses the reader and uses description and metaphor to convey character, theme, and emotion in novel ways. It's important to have a purposeful intent with words rather than just writing pretty sentences.
Caveats
The advice is not prescriptive but subjective. The video focuses on general prose and not dialogue, which will be covered in a separate video.
#1: What Does ‘Bad’ Prose Look Like?
"Bad" prose includes poor spelling and grammar (when unintentional), awkward, clunky, stiff, and repetitive writing. It also encompasses overdone, purple prose that is overly descriptive but conveys little meaning.
Good Prose Goes Beyond the Line Level!
Prose involves how paragraphs, pages, chapters, and entire books fit together to create a cohesive reading experience. Short stories and books should maintain a consistent voice and tone throughout.
Bad Prose Sin List
The video lists hallmarks of prose needing development, based on editing experience and observations. These issues are problematic when they become consistent patterns rather than deliberate choices. The first sin is repetitive sentence structure, especially overuse of "pronoun/name + verb + adverb." This structure is simple and gets the point across, but overuse leads to monotony. Variety in sentence structure is important for pacing. There are four standard sentence structures: simple, compound, complex, and compound-complex. Grammar conventions can be broken for effect, such as using single-word sentences or run-on sentences.
Repetitive word usage, especially of weak or uncommon words, is another sin. Using common words like "said" is fine because they are invisible, but overusing hyper-specific words becomes noticeable. The weak verb and adverb combination is another issue, where a stronger verb would be more effective. For example, "she ran quickly" can be replaced with "she sprinted." Overuse of filter words, which create a barrier between the reader and the character, is also a problem. Filter words force the reader to experience things through the character's eyes, using extraneous verbs. For example, "they saw the water turn red" should be "the water turned red."
Fixing Prose Issues
To fix prose issues, adapt writing to personal preferences by reading widely and understanding what sounds good. Short writing exercises and editing older works can help. Reading aloud is beneficial for developing voice and improving line editing.
The first tip is to read inspirational voices and read broadly, including poetry, short stories, and literary fiction. Dissect sentences and paragraphs to understand the flow. The second tip is to dramatize instead of narrating, which involves showing rather than telling on a macro level. Dramatizing a scene expands on emotions and experiences, making the writing more engaging. The third tip is to find your niche by using your or your character's interests, perspective, and background to construct metaphors. This adds depth and realness to the character.
The fourth tip is to learn and use strong verbs, using online thesauruses and personal vocabulary lists. The fifth tip is to eliminate filter words, often by cutting the filter word part of the sentence entirely. The sixth tip is to play with unique sentence structures, breaking conventional structures to create rhythm and variety. The seventh tip is to read aloud to figure out flow and rhythm. The eighth tip is to avoid purple prose, which is overly flowery and descriptive, and focus on clarity and concise writing. The ninth tip is to expand your vocabulary in general by keeping a list of words you love and referencing them when writing. The tenth and final piece of advice is that when all else fails, keep it simple, focusing on getting to the point without sacrificing beautiful writing.
