Prose Pros and Cons

Prose Pros and Cons.

We’ve all done it, I’m sure all writers have been guilty of it on more than one occasion. I know I have, and only notice when I edit the manuscript several months after completing the story. What sounds like the most beautiful use of scenic description, reads like poetry and paints a scene so sublime that Leo da Vinci would be jealous, is not necessarily the right way to write a novel. Have you ever read a novel, where a chapter starts by describing the scenery, only to find yourself reading about the same scene paragraphs later? I know I have, and it’s dull as dish water! You picked up a book expecting a tale of some sort, and instead what you get is a detailed description of watercolour challenge.

So how do you know when you’ve used too much text? Often it’s difficult to see straight away, which is why I leave my finished work for about 6 months before going back to edit. That’s when I usually notice erroneous adjectives. When reading a book, you don’t want to fumble through the prose trying to find the story hidden away do you? I try to only put in a couple of lines as and when it’s necessary so as to promote the use of imagination. I’ve spoken to some readers who don’t like this and prefer as much detail as possible in the books they read, because it helps them get a fuller picture of what’s going on, and there’s nothing wrong with that. Sorry to sound like a broken record, but it always comes down to preference.

I know I prefer to use my imagination when reading because I can visualise stories while I read them with ease, not everyone can so they require a bit more detail. What about you? When reading, do you like a little or a lot? If writing, how do you notice when you’ve used too much text, or not enough? Let me know what you think in the comments below.

Read, follow, comment and enjoy. M x