I've heard the word "purple" used to describe literature from time to time, and I could never figure out what it means. I googled, I wikied, I dictionaried. Even my former writing professor had no idea.
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What does purple mean? (as in "purple prose")
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dpaterso
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Purple prose = melodramatic, needlessly overblown.
Emelia touched her pale fluttering hand to her forehead and cried, "Oh nay, nay, a thousand times nay!" But still, the kettle would not boil any faster.
...Damn you, Wikipedia! A thousand times damn you!
-Derek
Emelia touched her pale fluttering hand to her forehead and cried, "Oh nay, nay, a thousand times nay!" But still, the kettle would not boil any faster.
...Damn you, Wikipedia! A thousand times damn you!
-Derek
Bulwer-Lytton Fiction Contest
"It was a dark and stormy night; the rain fell in torrents, except at occasional intervals, when it was checked by a violent gust of wind which swept up the streets (for it is in London that our scene lies), rattling along the housetops, and fiercely agitating the scanty flame of the lamps that struggled against the darkness."
"It was a dark and stormy night; the rain fell in torrents, except at occasional intervals, when it was checked by a violent gust of wind which swept up the streets (for it is in London that our scene lies), rattling along the housetops, and fiercely agitating the scanty flame of the lamps that struggled against the darkness."
When the writer starts describing the filigreed lacework that blossomed around the ruptured skin of roast potatoes that have nothing to do with the plot, you know he's hopelessly lost in purpleville.
Nice! That reminds me of a critique someone in my lit. class once gave on T.S Eliots "The Love Song of Alfred J. Profrock" about how the shriveled cranberries in his pocket were symbolic of impotence. It was a five minute speech.
Oh, come on. BS. You've been through University. Your prof didn't know and your classmates didn't know and...what... you waited till now to find out?
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To add personal experience to this, a publisher recently told me I had some purple passages in my manuscript. So, I took my own measurement and called a few friends, and decided it's a little purple and I probably need to make a tweak here and there. However, I'd also chalk it up to the style.
I would think that definition -- except in egregious cases -- would vary from head to head. So, grain of salt and perspective before you go chewing up your WIP with a red pen.
I would think that definition -- except in egregious cases -- would vary from head to head. So, grain of salt and perspective before you go chewing up your WIP with a red pen.
Oh, absolutely. The filigreed lacework potatoes are in the much ballyhooed Atonement. There's a huge market for purple, apparently.
*Disclaimer* Atonement is shaping up to be a pretty good story despite the prose being dipped in a vat of Gentian Violet.
Not a university. A small liberal arts college. But no, my professor, when I emailed her, had no idea. I have no idea if my classmates knew. I didn't hear the term until after I'd graduated. The term commonly passed around was "flowery" which seems about the same thing based on these comments.
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Huh. You know, after hearing all these definitions, I'm a little surprised nobody's ever called some of my writing purple. I've been guilty of dipping into "potato" tirades myself.
There's actually a novel by Madeleine L'Engle, which I quite enjoyed, that began with "It was a dark and stormy night."
One paragraph, by itself.
But I think she's a phenemonal writer of YA, so it worked for me.
One paragraph, by itself.
But I think she's a phenemonal writer of YA, so it worked for me.
using purple prose for one character then the next one goes 'yeah, right' can work quite nicely :}
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I dare say that's intentional use of the infamous Bulwer-Lytton opening line. Risky for newbies, maybe. Pro author with big following gets away with it.
"Somewhere, an owl hooted." I actually wrote that. The critiques it received bit deep, deep I say.
-Derek
I think L'Engle is pretty popular with the YA scene. The book was "A Wrinkle in Time" and it went on to have three sequels and a made-for-TV movie. I ate it up. 
Maybe it was dark and one of the fellows had capacious breeches!
Owls are clever creatures.
Owls are clever creatures.
Purple is a marriage, a union. The coming together of the fiery, bloody passion of the red, and the placid, oceanlike calm of the blue. A union of anger and serenity, producing a marvellous hue of untold depth.
And that's purple.
And that's purple.
There's always the notion, too, that if the prose is purple, perhaps the writer hasn't been exposed to enough education or other writings to offer a different vantage point.
For example, if someone grows up with network TV and movies as a primary influence, rather thaqn delving into examining real relationship,s how conversations move, body english and all that, then the chance for purple prose goes up faster than a Dick Rutan rocket.
However, if the person gets an immersion of things, then the language will be a result of that. And then the writer can make a choice to be "purple."
Again, I think the question of "purple" is about headspace and markets. If you intended that writing to be the way it is, then find the write market and sell it.
Finally, an addendum that seems to fit here: I used to write a lot of things I wanted to write. I had no druthers one what market they would touch and didn't care. However, a friend of mine once said, "Look, why are you wasting your time. if you can't sell it, why write it. It's wasted energy when you could be focused on getting your stuff on the shelves."
And I agree with most of that. Sometimes, you've got to just write something. And if it's "purple," so what? You've said what you wanted to say. However, the move to markets immediately brings up the notion of writing as commerce and I think the rules have to be changed to fit into the morass of publishing opportunities that exist.
For example, if someone grows up with network TV and movies as a primary influence, rather thaqn delving into examining real relationship,s how conversations move, body english and all that, then the chance for purple prose goes up faster than a Dick Rutan rocket.
However, if the person gets an immersion of things, then the language will be a result of that. And then the writer can make a choice to be "purple."
Again, I think the question of "purple" is about headspace and markets. If you intended that writing to be the way it is, then find the write market and sell it.
Finally, an addendum that seems to fit here: I used to write a lot of things I wanted to write. I had no druthers one what market they would touch and didn't care. However, a friend of mine once said, "Look, why are you wasting your time. if you can't sell it, why write it. It's wasted energy when you could be focused on getting your stuff on the shelves."
And I agree with most of that. Sometimes, you've got to just write something. And if it's "purple," so what? You've said what you wanted to say. However, the move to markets immediately brings up the notion of writing as commerce and I think the rules have to be changed to fit into the morass of publishing opportunities that exist.
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I just finished this novel entitled "The Life Before Her Eyes" by Laura Kasichke (sp?). The first 3/4 of the novel are just the main character driving her daughter to and from school, and spying on the neighbors. I think about three days of just this passed within the story.
Hehe *Guilty* Purple prosing is when you mindlessly overdescribe things irrelevant to the plot. You describe every nook and cranny of a single object, like a mug of coffee the MC is drinking from. You tell the readers about what's on the cup, how big it is. and how many chips there are. He goes on and on and on for about five pages. Imagine yourself reading a novel, would you really care what the MC's mug of coffee looks like or if it's a decaf? This is the parts where readers tend to skip, which is bad. If there's anything there that the reader needs to know in between useless detail and gets confused in the end, the writer is as good as screwed when he puts that book down.
May I post some excerpts from my old drafts? I have to find them.
Examples of purple prosing: (Ehehehehe)
I confess. I had one of these. This is one of my old drafts. I found this funny.
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/i...xygtZ9Hty6IX;_ylv=3?qid=20071106111110AAOy033
Purple prosing tends to annoy and bore readers, and it limits their imagination. It also shows the reader that the writer is trying too hard to make a good story, and he's a freaking control freak. He's trying to make the reader imagine what he wants to imagine, which is again a bit annoying.
There was this purple prosing that made me lose my lunch. I was critiquing a story and this guy starts his story purple prosing a woman taking a shower.
Don't purple prose naked people it's totally gross.
May I post some excerpts from my old drafts? I have to find them.
Examples of purple prosing: (Ehehehehe)
I confess. I had one of these. This is one of my old drafts. I found this funny.
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/i...xygtZ9Hty6IX;_ylv=3?qid=20071106111110AAOy033
Purple prosing tends to annoy and bore readers, and it limits their imagination. It also shows the reader that the writer is trying too hard to make a good story, and he's a freaking control freak. He's trying to make the reader imagine what he wants to imagine, which is again a bit annoying.
There was this purple prosing that made me lose my lunch. I was critiquing a story and this guy starts his story purple prosing a woman taking a shower.
Don't purple prose naked people it's totally gross.
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Blue, I think what you are touching upon is plain over-description.
Purple prose is the 'manner' of over-description - the use of overly colourful words.
Purple prose is the 'manner' of over-description - the use of overly colourful words.
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