Descriptive Language
- Alwaystkd
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Re: Descriptive Language
- aks9120
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That's an excellent point.Jbluestocking2 wrote: ↑12 May 2018, 20:12 I loved the author's writing style and use of diverse vocabulary and descriptive language. But I do read a lot of classic novels and Ironbark Hill had a very similar feel to those. Many modern authors use a much more conversational, efficient style that has a faster pace. I wonder if our generation becoming accustomed to all things in sensory overload (video, tv, film) doesn't cause us to mentally object to that slower, more ponderous manner of writing. It does take effort sometimes to slow down and really think about what I'm reading, to enjoy the use of language as much as the storytelling.
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I love descriptive language, but I have to agree. Sometimes it is just too much. There is a difference between painting a picture and being redundant or long-winded.
- Lolo Skyooz
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I definitely agree that the language was original and not ambiguously cliched but, at times, it just seemed that the author was trying a little too hard. It was almost as if she had a tight grasp on a thesaurus the entire time she was writing. I didn't find it terrible but, sometimes, less is more.maggiechap wrote: ↑18 May 2018, 11:22 I actually fell in love with her writing because of this. I thought it was just enough description told in unique language that didn't feel cliched or ambiguous as is a problem for most authors.
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I've thought a lot about why the descriptive language bothered me. After re-reading several passages, I figured out a more specific "why." There's an overuse of descriptive adjectives. Sometimes the author chose to use 2+ adjectives to modify the noun, but both descriptive words shared the same meaning. Other times, there were adjectives used to describe actions, as a result, the descriptive language took away from the action itself. For instance:
"satisfied smirk"
"protracted leisure"
"cheerful, sanguine old fellow"
"glancing briefly"
"With startling suddenness, Slim let out a blast of alerting barks..."
"Pour yourself a drink, put on some lipstick, and pull yourself together."