How. Scant. Is. Your. Prose?

Not.

I'm a minimalist. My prose is far from top-heavy or purple especially in the first draft. But I'm not a flowery person in "real life" either.

My prose is rather minimalist, yes.

My first draft is usually the shortest (in word count).

NeuroFizz said:

My first draft is usually the shortest (in word count).

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Completely the opposite. But sheer length isn't the central issue re: minimalism. It's more a matter of word and detail choice.

caw

Neither scant nor 'purple'. Different stories call for different measures. Only on the extremes can there be minimalist or purple prose.

It's not.

blacbird said:

Completely the opposite. But sheer length isn't the central issue re: minimalism. It's more a matter of word and detail choice.

caw

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Yeah. I would consider my 128k and growing WIP minimalist in style.

Nicole

I have minimalist tendencies. My betas often point out wtf passages that need expansion to become clear. They never mention the word purple. On the other hand, I write a lot of sentences that get combined and condensed in editing -- including many in forum posts. So I would rate myself somewhere between normal and mini, with a large percentage of terse prose and a small percentage of verbosity.

I prefer a mix, to be honest. Absolute minimalism is really boring (Hemingway sucks, sorry), and too much purple prose ruins the impact of poetic turns of prose.

Mine is spare, and I likes it that way.

I'm a huge Carver fan.

Isn't this thread a little redundant?

My first YA novel (seeking agent) is complete at 43K. If an agent/editor tells me to beef it up, of course I will, but the story is told.

The Lonely One said:

MINIMALISM.

Are you a believer?

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No.

Definitely. I have a tendency to get wordy in the first draft, but I prune ruthlessly in revisions. I like to be able to tell a story with enough detail that you see it, but not so much that you can't use your own mind's eye to imagine it. Authors that stuff wordy descriptions down my throat frustrate me.
I think a story scans better when it's lean and minimalistic.

The Lonely One said:

In response to the "How Purple is your Prose" thread:

MINIMALISM.

Are you a believer?

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Yep, that’s my style.

I personally find it easier to add than cut, so I strive for minimalism.

My first draft contains more or less the bare essentials of the story. So yes, I do minimize.

My prose is neither purple nor scanty. It's precise.

I'm scant-purple.

Minimalist prose is incomplete prose.

I'm in the middle of both extremes.

C.M.C. said:

Minimalist prose is incomplete prose.

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No. It really isn't.

Minimalism isn't about 'not using enough words'. It's about using only what you need and no more.

Everyone knows that anything else makes for a bloated, wordy book full of adverbs.

It's not. But I was hoping to not have to over-explain things (in my mind).

According to betas, my idea of over-explanation is waay off. Ooops

I like minimalism. I like other styles, too, but it does work for me as a reader.