How to Avoid Purple Prose In Your Writing

What is Purple Prose?

Purple prose is a literary term describing writing that uses overly flowery language, making it sound unnatural or contrived. It can also be defined as using big words when simple writing will do just as well. In this blog post, we’ll discuss the basics of how to avoid purple prose and provide some tips on how to make sure your own writing remains clear and concise. 

Purple prose is an over-the-top writing style characterized by overly descriptive language and excessive use of adjectives, adverbs, and figurative language. It’s often used for dramatic effect but can come across as too much if not done properly. That’s why we want to learn how to avoid purple prose. To illustrate what purple prose looks like, consider the following sentence: 

"The sun slowly rose above the horizon like a giant ball of fire, its rays peeking out from behind the clouds like curious fingers." 

This example contains two metaphors (a “giant ball of fire” and “curious fingers”) that may be effective if used sparingly but become too much if used frequently throughout one piece of writing. Additionally, the sentence contains two adverbs (slowly and curiously) that could be replaced with more precise verbs without losing any meaning or impact.

How to Avoid Purple Prose

The best way to learn how to avoid purple prose is to keep your language simple and straightforward while still communicating your thoughts effectively. Here are some tips for avoiding purple prose in your writing:

• Use precise verbs instead of relying on adverbs 

• Write in active voice rather than passive voice 

• Avoid clichés

• Keep metaphors to a minimum 

• Don't overuse adjectives or adverbs 

• Read your work aloud—if something feels off to your ear while you’re while reading it out loud, then chances are it needs revising or cutting altogether

Why Should I Learn How to Avoid Purple Prose?

Writing in clear language can be tricky but also incredibly rewarding. The goal should always be clarity over complexity. If you can communicate your point with minimal words yet still get your point across, then you're succeeding! Mastering the art of how to avoid purple prose will help ensure that your writing avoids sounding contrived or artificial. With practice and patience, you'll soon find yourself mastering the art of being both creative yet concise in your writing.