What do you need to be able to write beautiful prose? First of all, what IS beautiful prose? I'd define it as writing that captures your attention, words that you put together to create vivid images for the reader. Beautiful prose is memorable. It stays with the reader. How are you going to achieve this kind of writing?
According to our poster today, all you need is faith, trust, and pixie dust! If only we could run to the supermarket and buy a bucket of that pixie dust and sprinkle it across every page we write.
In lieu of that, there are some other things to heed that will help you achieve writing that readers will remember, not only for the content, but for the way in which you wrote the story or essay.
Prose writers often steer clear of attempting to read or write poetry, but it would be wise to read a lot of poetry to soak up the vivid images the poet gives us, the use of onomatopoeia, alliteration, similes and metaphors. Poets can make words sing, and prose writers can strive to do the same.
Avoid using a lot of passive verbs. They are merely connectors for your subject and object. They show nothing to the reader. When you edit a first draft, get rid of as many passive verbs as you can. You'll never dump all of them, but make them scarce. An active verb shows something or someone doing something. They help your reader see what is happening.
Make use of your thesaurus. If you don't own one, there are several online that you can consult. Find alternative words for the common ones we often spread through our story or essay.
Show what something looks like. Instead of telling me that that the lost boys came upon a river, say something like: They spotted water, a silver ribbon of life meandering between the shoulders of prairie grass. Use sentences like this, but don't try to make every sentence in your story the same kind. If you do, you'll lose your reader.
We're told to use adjectives and adverbs sparingly. Ooops, I just used an adverb. Use them too often or too many to describe one noun or verb, and you are overdoing it. Instead of showing your reader what something looks like or acts like, you might lose them from overdoing it. If you say, 'The soft, cuddly, carressable blanket soothed June enough to let her sleep.' It's better to choose one of those three adjectives. Your choice, as any one of the three would work. Be even more careful with adverbs. Instead of saying 'He kicked the tire furiously and angrily.' try: He gave the tire a mighty kick. That lets you know he is angry without telling the reader.
Use a bit of alliteration now and then. For some reason, we like the continuation of words that begin with the same letters. Carol jumped over the small snake that slithered in the grass. Use it, but don't overdo a good thing. Sprinkle it like pixie dust, a little here and there.
Onomatopoeia means using a word that relates a sound. Birds chirped. The clang of the bell startled him. Again, it allows your reader to hear what is happening as well as seeing.
Show your characters; emotions so that it transfers to the reader. Make the reader feel what the character is feeling. Again, don't overdo it. Too much of a good thing is exactly that--too much.
To write 'beautiful prose' you must work at it a little at a time. Do read poetry and look for the small ways the poet uses vivid images. Consider using much of the same when you write prose. Look for places to change when you edit your drafts. You, the writer, see exactly what is happening, you feel what the character feels, but your job is to transfer those feelings to the reader.
All of the above suggestions come naturally to some writers, but others must work at it.
Nobody ever said writing is easy. If we had that pixie dust, it might help. Otherwise, we've got to rely on ourselves.
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