Prose

Prose - consists of full grammatical sentences which consist of paragraphs and forgoes aesthetic appeal in favor of clear, straightforward language. It can be said to be the most reflective of conversational speech.

General Tips

1.) Don’t overuse adjectives.

Instead of this: He dived excitedly into the cool swimming pool.

Write this: He dived into the swimming pool.

2.) Avoid Passive Voice

Instead of this: Mary phoned when I was eating my lunch.

Write this: Mary phoned as I ate my lunch.

3.) Don’t use weak qualifiers

• Little
• Exceedingly
• Somewhat
• Extremely
• Quite
• Very
• Rather
• Really

4.) Avoid unnecessary words, be concise

Instead of this: The fact of the matter was that Brenda felt ill.

Write this: Brenda felt ill.

5.) State things in the positive

Instead of this: Mary didn't like Frank.

Write this: Mary hated Frank.

6.) It’s better to be concrete than abstract

Instead of this: After his first kiss with Samantha, Toby walked home feeling happier than he'd ever felt in all his 13 years.

Write this: After his first kiss with Samantha, Toby couldn't keep the goofy grin off his face all the way home. When he came to the front gate, he jumped clean over it, didn't come close to tripping.

7.) Unnecessarily fancy words don’t impress anyone.

Instead of this: precipitation, veracity, exhorted

Write this: rain, accuracy, encouraged

Short Prose Genres

Nonfictional Prose: A literary work that is mainly based on fact although it may contain fictional elements in certain cases.

Fictional Prose: A literary work that is completely or partly imagined. 

Heroic Prose: A literary work that can be written down or recited, often found in oral tradition. Examples are legends and tales.

Prose Poetry: A literary work which exhibits poetic quality by evoking strong emotions and using vivid imagery.

Types of Short Prose (cerca 1,000 words or less)

Personal Essay - a non-fiction work on the writer’s experiences. Are more often than not reflective of an important moment, also to entertain the reader.

Commentary - is similar to the personal essay. It is a few hundred words and is more journalistic.

Flash Fiction/Micro Fiction/Hint Fiction - is a fictional piece that is short in word count but big on ideas. Written in ordinary form instead of using poetic sound. Suggested word count: 53-1,000.

Prose Poetry - blends the styles of poetry and narrative prose. It is not written in verse but it still has heightened imagery and emotional effects. It is very short, less than a page.

Types of Longer Prose

Short Story - a fictional work, usually inspired by a real-life event. The plot is centered on the climax and the resolution of a single event. There is little to no introduction of the characters. The opening paragraph states just enough background for the reader to understand the conflict: relationships between characters, setting. Suggested word count: 3,500-7,500

Novelette - a narrative fictional prose, usually refers to a romantic/sentimental story. Suggestive word count: 7,500-17,000

Novellas - a narrative prose that can involve multiple sub-plots, plot twists and characters but not as many as in a novel. Still focus on one character’s personal and emotional development instead of large-scale issues. Novellas are often written with a satirical, moral or educational purpose. These are not divided into chapters and are meant to be read in one sitting. Suggested word count: 17,000-40,000

Novels - a narrative prose that involves multiple major characters, sub-plots and twists, conflicts, and points of views. The plot moves forward through many characters, actions, thoughts, time periods, and situations. It often feels that the story deviates and is affected by the involvement of different sub-stories and sub-plots, by the passage of time, or by the involvement of new important characters. There are different word lengths for different genres all over 40,000 words although average novels are between 80,000-120,000. Romance novels are on the shorter end of the range, horror and science fiction are on the longer end of the range. Fantasy novels often reach 240,000 words.