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Composing Effective
Prose
Part 1: Having a
Penchant for Nouns
The
key to crafting effective prose, by way of selecting appropriate nouns, is in
the use of simple words to create compounded ideas, not decorative words to
describe simple ones. Be clean while making space for meaning. In your writing,
don’t just load up on adjectives. Paint a picture and define details with nouns.
Below
are my simple Dos and Don’ts of choosing nouns.
DO Use Words
with Concise Sound Bites
Make
the words do the singing. “Buzz, yodel, fizzle, flop, whir, hissy fit, frolic,
velvet, fortune, revolt.”
Slang
can be also colorful and full of gumption. Choose words that are appropriate
for the subject, audience, and forum.
DON’T Use Drab
Nouns
Apartment
= Yes
Abode
= Yuck
Fever
= Yes
Raised
temperature = Really?
DO Prefer One
to the Other
Straightforward
over Highfaluting
Precise
over Lengthy
Classic
over Idiosyncratic
Distinct
over Broad/Vague
Particular
over Abstract
Revise
when the noun used is safe, standard, or vague.
DON’T Default
to Clichés
Barf.
Clichés are lazy. Avert your eyes
against these and many more:
At
my wits end
Level
playing field
Plain
as day
Last-ditch
effort
As
luck would have it
Easier
said than done
For
an extensive list of clichés to avoid
like the plague, visit...
DON’T Use 5
Words When 1 Will Do
“Voters
showed a great deal of interest in the electoral process this year” vs.
“Citizens voted in droves.”
Whenever
you have a choice, write plainly, not arrogantly. Unless you speak arrogantly,
in which case, use and embrace your authentic voice. Be yourself. Just remember
who your audience is.
DO Avoid Balderdash
Don’t
write a puzzle for the reader. Loading up on extraneous words and ideas will
weigh down your prose.
Thirty
calendar days = a month
Over
accelerated diesel locomotive goes off the tracks = high-speed train derails
Capitalized
cost reductions = down payments
DON’T Stress
Remember
that the first draft is for getting ideas down. Don't stress each word
as you lay the foundation for your manuscript. However, when you
practice careful noun selection, you will begin choosing the correct words the
first time around.
Stay Tuned for
Parts 2-5 of this Series & Try These Additional Materials
And
please, please, please read “Sin and
Syntax” by Constance Hale.
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