What Is Purple Prose? Definition, Tips, Examples, and How to Avoid It

Don't Have Time to Read? Listen to this Article Instead!

Key Takeaways

• Purple prose is overly flowery writing that distracts from the story.
• It differs from flowery language because it overwhelms readers.
• Common signs include long sentences, too many adjectives, and overwriting in fiction.
• Writers can avoid purple prose by following the show, don't tell, using shorter sentences, and applying feedback.
• Understanding purple prose helps with prose criticism, fiction writing, and improving writing style overall.

Introduction

If you've ever been reading a novel and paused because the sentences felt too fancy or too detailed, you might have encountered purple prose. But what exactly is it, and how can writers recognize and avoid it?

In this guide, we explain what is purple prose in literature, show examples of purple prose in novels, discuss why it can be a problem, and provide practical writing tips and editing tips for writers to avoid it. Whether you are working on creative writing, fiction writing, or story writing, understanding purple prose will help you improve your prose style and make your writing clear and engaging.

Let's dive in.

What Is Purple Prose in Literature?

Purple prose is a type of descriptive writing or narrative style where the language becomes too fancy, overdone, or flowery. It often uses many literary devices like metaphors, similes, and adjectives. While description can improve a story, purple prose focuses too much on style instead of the story itself. As a result, it can distract readers from the plot or characters, making your writing feel heavy or hard to follow.

For example, instead of writing:

“The garden was beautiful in spring.”

Purple prose might read:

“The garden, bathed in the golden light of the sun, overflowed with flowers of every color, their fragrance swirling in a mesmerizing dance, as if the world itself had paused to celebrate the miracle of spring.”

This shows how overwriting in fiction can slow the story and take attention away from the main events.

Key Characteristics of Purple Prose

You can spot purple prose in your writing by looking for these signs:

Too Much Description

Long paragraphs with many adjectives, adverbs, or detailed imagery can overwhelm readers.

Flowery Language

Words or phrases that sound poetic but don't move the story forward.

Interruptions in Narrative Style

Overly long or complicated sentences can slow the story.

Too Many Literary Devices

Overusing metaphors, similes, or other figurative language can confuse readers.

Showing Too Much

While “show, don't tell” is important, purple prose often shows unnecessary details, turning small moments into long descriptions.

Lack of Clear Meaning

If sentences read beautifully but the main idea is unclear, your writing may lean toward bad prose.

Purple Prose vs Plain Prose

It's important to know the difference between purple prose vs plain prose:

• Plain prose is simple, clear, and keeps readers focused on the story.
• Purple prose is too ornate, distracts from the plot, and can make reading tiring.

For Example:

• Plain: “He felt nervous as he walked into the dark room.”
• Purple: “His heart thudded violently, a relentless drum echoing in his chest, as he gingerly stepped into the obsidian darkness, shadows clawing at his mind with icy fingers of dread.”

Meanwhile, both sentences convey the same idea, but purple prose slows the story with too much descriptive writing.

Famous Examples of Purple Prose in Novels

Here are some famous purple prose passages from literature:

• Thomas Hardy – Tess of the d'Urbervilles
  Hardy's nature descriptions are rich and detailed, sometimes overwhelming modern readers.
• Oscar Wilde – The Picture of Dorian Gray
  Wilde often used fancy language to set the mood, sometimes slowing the story.
• Edith Wharton
  Her writing contains highly detailed settings with many literary devices, which can make scenes feel long.

These examples show that purple prose has a long history, but most readers today prefer a prose style that balances description with story writing clarity.

Why Purple Prose Can Be a Problem

Purple prose can sound pretty, but it has certain drawbacks, such as

• It slows reading. Too much flowery language or excessive description in writing can It distracts from the plot and characters. Readers may remember a sentence but forget what happened.
• make the story feel long.
• It can make writing feel inexperienced. Even in fiction writing, a simple and clear narrative style works best.
• It can push readers away. Fast-paced genres such as romance, mystery, or thriller need clear writing.

In short, purple prose is a problem when it gets in the way of the story instead of supporting it.

How to Identify Purple Prose

Check your manuscript for these signs:

• Count Adjectives and Adverbs
  Using too many often signals purple prose.
• Check Sentence Length
  Very long sentences with many clauses can slow the story.
• Read Aloud
  Awkward or dramatic phrasing is easier to spot when spoken.
• Seek Feedback
  Prose criticism from editors or beta readers helps identify overly descriptive parts.
• Highlight Literary Devices
  Too many metaphors or similes can make sentences feel heavy.

How to Avoid Purple Prose

Following are some practical ways to improve writing clarity and avoid descriptive writing mistakes:

• Focus on storytelling: make sure every word moves the plot forward or shows something about your characters.
• Limit adjectives and adverbs: strong nouns and verbs usually make writing clearer than too many descriptive words.
• Balance description and action: describe scenes enough to create a picture, but don't slow down the story.
• Show, don't tell carefully: only show details that are important to the plot or character, and avoid overloading readers.
• Edit your work: cut extra adjectives, simplify long sentences, and remove unnecessary literary devices.
• Get professional feedback: professional editors can help you find parts that are too heavy, making your writing smoother and easier to read.

Purple Prose vs Flowery Language

Many authors often confuse purple prose with flowery language. However, they are very different from each other. Some of the prominent differences between purple prose and flowery language are as follows:

Editing Tips for Purple Prose

Every writer should follow these editing tips to polish their manuscript:

• Highlight long, elaborate passages.
• Ask if each sentence is necessary or could be simpler.
• Focus on plot, character development, and pacing over fancy descriptions.
• Get professional feedback to refine your prose style.

If the editing process overwhelms you, get help from expert editors and get rid of purple prose from your manuscript.

Purple Prose and Self-Publishing

For authors planning to self-publish a book, understanding purple prose is important. Readers want stories that are easy to read but still immersive. Too much flowery language can affect reviews and sales.

By following these tips, you can maintain a strong narrative style, avoid overwriting in fiction, and produce polished work. Furthermore, professional publishing services can also help writers remove purple prose while keeping their unique voice.

Final Thoughts

Purple prose is not always bad. But too much descriptive writing, lowery language, or overwriting can slow the story and confuse readers. Writers should balance creativity with clarity while focusing on plot, character, and story writing.

Techniques, i.e. reading aloud, limiting adjectives, and getting feedback, help turn your writing into good prose. Avoid purple prose while letting your voice shine, keeping readers engaged from start to finish.

Self-publishing companies such as Author's Breeze can help writers avoid purple prose. Our expert ghostwriters can refine their writing as per their needs and make their manuscripts a good read.

Frequently Asked Questions