Writing Stack Exchange
Writing Stack Exchange

Questions tagged [prose]

This tag should be used for questions about prose in your own writing, such as how to write in a natural manner from a different perspective or finding resources about writing in prose as opposed to writing in stylised forms, such as in rhythm.

This tag should be used for questions about prose in your own writing, such as how to write in a natural manner from a different or finding about writing in prose as opposed to writing in stylised forms, such as in .

44 questions
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How to avoid constantly starting paragraphs with "The character did this" "The character did that"?

This is one of the tics I've noticed in my writing recently, and it's starting to bug me. Almost every single one of my paragraphs, particularly during dialogue sequences, starts with "The character did this". The main exceptions are when I use…
F1Krazy
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How do I improve "beige" text?

I have a tendency to write text that's on the "beige" side. I think it's the engineer in me that tends to write text that's very straightforward and strictly factual. To a certain degree, that's good, but I feel like my writing can use more "color"…
Jason Baker
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7 answers

Detail vs. filler

How can I minimise the "filler" text that I end up writing when fleshing out a scene with detail? An appropriate level of detail seems to me to be a fundamental requirement for good prose. Whatever I may be trying to achieve in terms of characters,…
sesquipedalias
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8 answers

How is simplicity better than precision and clarity in prose?

Many recommend the Hemingway app, which pushes simplicity and the lowest possible reading level. Where I live, an illiterate person is defined as any person who reads below a grade nine level. The Hemingway app would have us writing for the…
Rasdashan
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The English language, if England had a dictatorship

European dictatorships left a profound cultural footprint in the local culture, to the point that a certain vocabulary, a certain manner of writing, and even a certain manner of speaking is evocative of that period. I am not talking about…
NofP
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Is It Better to Use 'a Staircase' or 'the Staircase' in This Example, and Why?

In the below example, which exists in the context of a piece of fiction writing (made up for this question), is it better to use 'a' (the indefinite article) or 'the' (the definite article) with 'staircase leading to the floor above'? For further…
MJ Ada
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How do I write less like a screenplay?

I've come to notice I have a very specific manner of writing. Specifically, I've noticed that while I'm writing a book, I tend to pace and set up things more like I'm writing a screenplay than a novel. The way I've often described it to myself is…
user2352714
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Mixing prose with character dialogue rhymes - childrens book

I've written my first children's picture book manuscript and it uses a mix of prose for the narration and rhyme for the character's dialogue. It feels to me like it gives more colour and life to the characters but I'm curious if this is uncommon or…
Dan
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Are rhymes bad in prose?

They are the good in lyrics and poems, but what about prose? An example from my own writing: I fall to the ceramic floor, blood and bile dripping from my lips, my stomach full but my muscles lacking the slightest drop of energy. But that's all…
alex
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When is prosody in fiction too ornate?

I’ve written a very long fiction story titled (over 700 pages) and I am in the second round of editing. It’s a very dark subject: teenage suicide and I’ve written it in epic format (media-res, a catalogue, deus ex machina scenes, etc). Typically,…
Beebok
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How to write a character who speaks with Russian mannerisms

One of my characters is Russian and speaks English as a second language. I know that people with Russian accents tend to leave out words like “the” and “a” because they don’t exist in Russian. My question is, would it be annoying for a character to…
Grace
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How do you convey a simple world through negative space?

I've been mulling over this question for at least a year now. There may be a simple way to ask it but I lack the vocab if there is one. I'm ready to ask it because I think I can express what I want with an illustration. But first some context. When…
NeRoboto
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How to add symbolic things "in the background" without giving them focus?

my primary interest is video game development and I picked up writing (short stories) as a secondary skill. Because making games is a visual art that encompasses a bit of painting, cinematography and environmental design, I tend to think in terms of…
reverent_lapwing
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Third person omniscient or limited?

This is kind of difficult to explain (im sorry if its really long) and I haven't found a question yet that addresses my exact issue. Apologies in advance if this breaks a rule, I can't find them anywhere and can't be sure if I remember them…
Jane Doe
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How do I improve my "impact" in writing?

I don't know the exact word for it, but I hope I make it clear what I mean by "impact" soon. My favorite pieces of writing are Rosa Luxemburg's Junius Pamphlet, the lyrics to this Phil Ochs song, and Chapter 25 of the Grapes Of Wrath. All of these…
Carlos Cienfuegos
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