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/lit/ - Literature

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6133134 No.6133134 [Reply] [Original]

I've noticed that one of the qualities good prose seems to have is the usage of short (mono/bi syllabication) but novel (and hence aesthetic) words.

I think we should share some of our favorites to help each other write better. Here are some of mine:

Hawing, dell, crag, maw, fallow, mire, palsy

>> No.6133502

u gotta give definitions op

Sylph: Imaginary spirit of the air (slender woman or girl)

stygian: relating to the river styx, used in a literary sense to refer to intense darkness

recondite: little known, obscure, abstruse

diffident: lacking confidence, not feeling comfortable around people, very careful around acting or speaking

Exiguous: small in size or amount

I know those are tri or even quad but honestly they're not pseud words

>> No.6135165

When will you tards learn that there is no secret ingredient or formula for creating good prose?

>> No.6135170

>>6135165
But since bad prose is observable, there must be.

>> No.6135183

>>6133502

don't use stygian to describe darkness, too cliche. using it to talk about an actual body of water might be cool. stygian rain maybe?

>> No.6135187

>>6133502

Stygian's a horrible cliche.

>> No.6135196

>>6135170
>But since bad prose is observable, there must be.
lol?

>> No.6136685

>>6135170
There are many right ways to write. There are also many wrong ways. Same with everything else.

>> No.6136689

these words areall terrible except stygian

>> No.6136746

>>6133134
>>6133502
Hawing, I diffidently slipped my exiguous shaft into the young sylph's stygian crag.

>> No.6136750

Op here. Very disappointed. Only one person posted words, which might be lovely in an essay, but which might sound clamorous in prose.

Are novel, short words the key to good prose? No! But word variety is crucial to good writing: it's a necessary, not sufficient condition.

Can people post some nice words now?

>> No.6136752

>>6136746
And I like it, holy shit it's working

>> No.6136833
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6136833

>>6136746

>> No.6137004

>>6133134
i completely agree OP
I've been thinking about this for a while
other things that make prose interesting: fleeting references to unusual colours or foodstuffs