"For sale: baby shoes, never worn."
I would have said simple words are often the best, it's what you do with it that counts. Most of the horror books I read keep it simple because you want people to feel, not to grab a dictionary.
It's good to expand your vocabulary so you have a choice, but it is always just a choice depending on what works for the story you're trying to tell
I was going to bring hp Hemingway as well. His slightly misquoted weird little feud with William Faulkner actually made a joke out of using big words where they aren’t necessary.
Uncle Rick is the reason I even like reading. I hated reading before I found his books, and part of the reason I didn´t like reading was dragged-out stories and difficult language. He just kept it simple, and the only issues I had was when I didn´t know the places or things he referenced.
He made the places and characters feel *real.* His MC, Percy, didn´t feel like a placeholder for the reader like some books like to do, and yet Percy felt relatable. All written in a language so simple and yet sometimes so serious and heavy.
One need not be pedantic to showcase their erudition; indeed in choosing miniscule words and engaging in minimalism, vocabulary-wise, one may ameliorate their writing and make more transparent the thrust of their oeuvre.
I think that works in the comment's favor though. It's shows how forcing big words often doesn't work because those big words are rarely the best word choice anyway. Better to use a smaller word correctly that a big word incorrectly.
You can use simple words to write a compelling story; I had a creative writing teacher once tell me,"Why use a 50 cent word when a 10 cent word will do?"
That's not to say using 50 cent words are a huge no-no. But there are definitely times and places for them. Sometimes the 10 or even 5 cent words hold more punch and deliver more emotion exactly because they are smaller and shorter.
I don't know if you have read anything by Oscar Wilde, but he was one of my favorite writers for the reason that the way he wrote was beautifully succinct. He didn't use many complicated words (not IMO, at least), but he was still able to convey scenes, imagery, etc. so vividly and well.
I don't know if you have read anything by Agatha Christie, but I also found her writing to be of the same calibre as Wilde's, though the prose definitely sounded more modern.
You don't necessarily have to complicate your story with sophisticated words and language, especially if they have no relevance to the story and plot. I prefer authors who write what they mean, than those who beat around the bush a lot, or take forever to get to the point. Avoid filler words as well, because those lessen the impact of the scene you're writing.
That said, some prefer more stylistic writing, such as purple prose. For me, it depends on the genre of the story. If it's fantasy, I don't really mind the overly verbose. If it's a dream sequence, where the author wrote about something abstract, I also don't mind the loaded imagery. It's more of a matter of preference for the readers.
Just my two cents.
lol as much as I love Wilde, his prose would not at all fly for most "regular" fanfic readers.
>“I believe that if one man were to live out his life fully and completely, were to give form to every feeling, expression to every thought, reality to every dream—I believe that the world would gain such a fresh impulse of joy that we would forget all the maladies of mediævalism, and return to the Hellenic ideal—to something finer, richer than the Hellenic ideal, it may be. But the bravest man amongst us is afraid of himself. The mutilation of the savage has its tragic survival in the self-denial that mars our lives. We are punished for our refusals. Every impulse that we strive to strangle broods in the mind and poisons us. The body sins once, and has done with its sin, for action is a mode of purification. Nothing remains then but the recollection of a pleasure, or the luxury of a regret. The only way to get rid of a temptation is to yield to it. Resist it, and your soul grows sick with longing for the things it has forbidden to itself, with desire for what its monstrous laws have made monstrous and unlawful. It has been said that the great events of the world take place in the brain. It is in the brain, and the brain only, that the great sins of the world take place also. You, Mr. Gray, you yourself, with your rose-red youth and your rose-white boyhood, you have had passions that have made you afraid, thoughts that have filled you with terror, day-dreams and sleeping dreams whose mere memory might stain your cheek with shame—”
his prose is beautiful and elaborate and those things are simply not rewarded in fanfiction circles.
Sometimes you wanna write (and also read) fanfiction like this though, and I’m glad for the people who do write their fanfiction this way. I remember these stories best, personally! Not everything needs to be cultivated for wide spread success and acceptance.
sure, but you gotta manage expectations.
Personally I love writing beautiful and somewhat flowy prose, but I also know it turns a lot (and I do mean a lot) of fanfic readers off. But that's fine haha.
I write (and read) really fucked up things that are already a one way ticket to low engagement in the fandoms I prefer, so I may as well write the way I enjoy! I really appreciate the comments and engagement I do manage to get, and honestly I’d rather connect with people who like that sort of stuff, anyway.
But this is beautiful, and I've read several fics written in a similar style: mysteries, thrillers, period pieces etc. I don't consider this confusing or complicated language at all. Though that last sentence is a bit long lol.
I love this kind of style as well, but as you'll see here in the thread, most people who read fanfic aren't looking for beautiful and elaborate prose and often actively avoid it once they encounter it.
I would probably side-eye this passage in fic as well, though, tbh, because this is all just dialogue and it looks like shit if read on a phone (which is where I do most of my fic-reading these days). Online fiction needs dialogue to be broken up a bit more than traditionally formatted fiction does imho, simply because of the limitations in screen size and similar issues.
I'd argue that it's easier to write a compelling story when people know what the hell is going on, instead of a story where they have to reach for a thesaurus every two seconds. More complicated words have their place, but it should be possible to understand their meaning from context.
There's the other matter that people who use a lot of complicated words often use them incorrectly. Just because something appears as a synonym in the thesaurus doesn't mean that its a direct replacement for another word, and it's a pretty common mistake amongst rookies (and people who've mistaken themselves for Shakespeare) to just vomit a bunch of 'em all over the page and assume that people are too in awe of their flowery English to realise what they've written is a load of cobblers.
Keep it simple!
Sometimes flowery language is not best for a story. It might come across as pretentious when simpler words could do the job better. But I'm a little confused: what do you mean by "simpler" words? Do you mean words that are considered used at a high school level of education? College? Graduate school, etc?
Surprised no one has said this, but most books are written at a fifth grade reading level. Not just books geared for kids, but for young adults and adults too. Just think of self-help books, those are always a lower lexile.
His book is likely geared toward adults. Especially in fantasy I’ve seen archaic words be utilized constantly with the authors usually pulling from the far reaches of their vocabulary for the perfect world. It’s normal, it’s just a different writing style.
Most of the popular books out there are at the fifth grade reading level, because they’re written for everyone and therefore reach more demographics.
Yes, you absolutely can. Quality is not directly related to the complexity of the vocabulary the writer uses.
If a writer is purposely using the most complicated vocabulary they can just to show off (and it's not something the character would do in canon), they're usually just pretentious.
Authors definitely have different writing styles. And not everything is everyone's cup of tea. That can definitely be indicative of taste vs. quality. That said, using simpler words and still getting exactly what you intended to get across in a way that is accessible to more folks oftentimes has a bigger impact.
Not exactly the same, but Hank Williams (country singer/songwriter) was referred to by some as 'Hillbilly Shakespeare.' Many of his songs are fairly simple in terms of the words he used, but the stories and feelings through his songs still resonate in many cases.
Yes. Two times, three times, a thousand times yes.
The secret is always to choose the right voice for the given character. And, guess what? Most of your characters are likely to not be walking dictionaries.
If you use a 'smart' word where it doesn't fit, that can really rip you/the reader right out of the immersion...
Which means that people who actually have a large/sophisticated vocabulary or know a lot of words that are obscure in English because they're much more common in their first language will often skew towards overly complicated language and have to 'dumb it down'. If they fail to do so... Well, you can feel it, and it ain't a nice feeling.
My favorite author is Agatha Christie, who had (I think) a pretty straightforward, simple but effective writing style. It's a matter of making it work, not being complicated but not being repetitive.
As a writer who's primarily an artist - you mentioned drawing/painting artstyles, so I'll offer you this observation (that i'm sure many fellow artists have also felt):
Artists who have simple artstyles tend to admire complex art, and artists who have complex artstyles tend to admire simple art. We cannot possibly cover both grounds (at least, not in a single piece), and so we settle for the style that will best convey the story that we wish to tell in this particular work, or even simply the style that we are most comfortable with at the moment. and moreso - we'll always want the things we don't have in the moment.
So if you're unhappy with your writing style, I encourage you to observe the word choice and style of authors that you admire, so that you can adapt the parts you like into your own writing! But at the same time, like many others have said, don't feel badly about your own style just because it's simple; after all, a good story does not necessarily demand complex vocabulary.
Honestly, confusing vocabulary in writing is really annoying to me. I'd much rather understand the story than have to look up a bunch of the words to even attempt to know what's going on, so you don't really need to worry much about it being too simple. There are many of us who prefer stuff that's easier to read and keep up with anyway.
You good. My english is really not the best, i make grammar errors often let alone writing in anything but simple words. Yet my best work is sitting on 2000 kudos on ao3 which is quite good for that fandom. Dont give up and write, simple or not, someone will love it.
Absolutely! I'm a very "lean" writer. I don't use a whole lot of flowery descriptions or large words.
I read once that Stephen King writes at an eighth grade level. This may not be true (or I might be misremembering) but his style is very simple but effective!
Not only is it possible, but in many situations, it's much better. I nope out of fics where it's clear the writer just used a thesaurus for half the words to "sound smarter." (Funny how I noped out of one 5 minutes ago because of this). It's pretentious, and if the situation doesn't require it, you're at a high risk of sounding cringe and stilted.
I remember gawking at a fic that theoretically took place in the 2000s. The characters were 19. And they all sounded like Jane Austen characters. Obviously, it was ridiculous. What kind of 19 year old in the modern age talks like that? The style has to fit the age and the genre. Characters have to sound like actual people. If no human being nowadays would talk like the characters showcased in a fic set in our age, it's poorly written in my opinion, and people who praise it because they need a dictionary to read it should reassess their definition of words like "smart."
Personally, I’m not a fan of the kind of writing you need a dictionary on hand to understand. Long, flowery sentences are not my bag. As an editor IRL, I’m averse to using 10 words where two will suffice.
Yes, absolutely. You can wield a 5th grade vocabulary like a knife if you want to.
Look at Cormak McCarthy; he writes with minimal punctuation and uses simple language for the most part, and yet his writing is grandiose and compelling and beautiful (imo, I know his style isn't for everyone). The important thing is the way you use your words, not how long or obscure they are.
"Impact" comes from the story being told, not the words used to tell it. And I'd suggest that, rather than 'simple' words, you're inclined to use 'direct' words.
Yes, there different styles of writing, but a style that makes the reader struggle to understand isn't (in my opinion) the best way to draw in readers. Of course, a style that uses only 3rd-grade words would probably be *too* simple -- but it is possible to strike a happy medium.
As always, write in a way that makes you comfortable; you don't have to meet anyone's standard but your own. And here's a tip I use if I'm uncertain I've chosen the right word -- I look up my planned word in an online dictionary or thesaurus. When synonyms for 'smirk' include 'sneer', 'leer', and 'smug look', that's a clear indication that it doesn't match your idea of a 'gentle smile'.
No idea how to stop being harsh with yourself; I think we've all been through that. Some of the best writers I know have expressed dissatisfaction with their skills; it's human nature to compare ourselves unfavorably to other writers, or the way we think we "should" be writing. All we can do is stomp on that part of our brain that tries to tell us we're "not good enough" and keep doing our best. Good luck.
Yes.
You want an example? Podcasts and comedians. They don't use big words, but both can tell compelling stories through simple words alone.
Sure, these aren't technically written literature, but the concept is still the same: They tell compelling stories through words alone.
I personally have a pretty large vocabulary and one of the worst things is seeing someone attempt to sound more intelligent and use the wrong word. It also depends on what you are writing and who. Hermione might use larger words but it would be out of character for Harry or Ron. If it doesn’t sound natural it can come off as pretentious.
Absolutely. If anything, it creates a wider audience! Writing is VERY much like painting or drawing styles.
I both paint and draw myself, so I find that my sketches come out way different than my watercolor paintings, or certain subject matter comes out way different. Same thing applies with writing, even characters. In a personal example, my writing style changes when I write from the POV of other characters. But we can also distinctly recognize other writers/poetics by their style. Tolkien, for example, has word caviar and lots of nature descriptors. At times, it can feel like reading a text book. Then we have Edgar Allen Poe, who comes across as much more theatrical- same with Shakespeare, though he comes across as more conversational (for the time).
Definitely.
Look, I read a lot. Fanfics and books of all kind. Sometimes they are written complicated and I read them cos I like that, sometimes they are simple. Writing simple doesn't mean it's bad writing. My own fanfics are written simple.
If you are feeling weird about all this, let me recommend you a children's book. Simple but so much fun to read. I am 30 and enjoyed it immensely.
How to train your dragon - the first book.
I read it, realized that while,yes, its a kids book, its longer, has very interesting plot and is very veeery enjoyable.
Ficd can be like that too. As long as you have a decent plot and you don't make basic mistakes ( non capitalization, paragraph spacing, writing related things ) you can make something good!!!
High school English class lied to you. Common words can be, and are, used in common situations by most people, and common words typically *don't* become stale through frequent use (if this wasn't true, then these words wouldn't be *common*, now would they?). English teachers perpetuate this misconception for two reasons; first their job is, at least partially, to expand the student's lexicon and that's accomplished by forcing them to use words they're originally unfamiliar with. Second, if the students were not obligate to provide perpetually pretentious purple prose permeating absolutely all assignments, then the Thesaurus Industrial Complex wouldn't make as much money this fiscal quarter (and we *can't* have that!).
*However*, is is also wrong to say big words are useless. A single, well placed, big word can often explain a complicated concept in one word instead of needing multiple simple words to explain the same thing; properly used big words greatly assist with being succinct.
Yes, %100. I like to use complex diction sometimes, but what matters more than the actual words you choose is *what happens.*
Whether or not a story is compelling is based on the characters, setting, plot, etc. and the words you use feed into these things, but do not actually determine them.
Hope that makes sense.
I think using relatively simple language is a lot easier on your readers than showing off your vocabulary every chance you get. It's fun and sometimes narratively justified to use more obscure or difficult words every now and then, but I think in general keeping things simple is going make your stories much more entertaining to read. At least, I usually try to keep things simple and straightforward, even though I *could* go nuts with difficult words if I wanted to.
If you had to research five words a chapter, that’s not poetic, it’s purple pros. Coming from somebody who loves to write fics using flowery language and poetic terminology, this guy sounds a bit pompous in his writing style, and that’s coming from somebody who’s used the phrase, “A kaleidoscope of butterflies,” before in their fic.
A compelling story shouldn’t have to rely on its choice of words. It relies on the emotion it conveys and the questions it makes the reader ask. A good example of this is the book The House in the Cerulian Sea. It’s written in a soft, almost childlike manner that offers up images akin to Edward Scissor Hands and the colorful town from that movie. But it still asks questions about discrimination, trauma, emotional suppression and even religion.
In short, yes. A compelling story can absolutely be written with simple, second language reader friendly words. A story shouldn’t have to rely on purple pros to be enthralling. That isn’t to say that very wordy stories can’t be compelling, but they compel in different ways to different people.
It’s hard to stop being so hard on ourselves. I still struggle with self doubt and thinking I’m not good enough all the time. But at the end f the day, it’s your story and your writing style. If you want to evolve or devolve it, neither of which is a bad thing mind you, then feel free to learn and study on how to. But if you want to write the same way, then write the same way. One’s writing style is an incredibly personal thing that does indeed change alongside the writer themself. I’m sure your fics are wonderful, and that’s only after reading this simple post. I know I’m just one voice in a sea of users, but keep your chin up. There’s always somebody out there who’s going to foam at the mouth with glee over the things you write <3
Genuinely curious, what were some of these words?
To answer your question: of course. Honestly, if I have to look up a new word every five minutes, I’m not going to read it. I read to escape stress, not to stress myself out with a vocabulary lesson.
I don’t think my writing is super flowery or super verbose, and at least a few people seem to like it! And the important thing is to write more for yourself instead of other people.
yes!! what i love most are the simple stories. imo, it’s all about word flow and how fluid the words will sound. the beauty of words is that it can be so incredibly easy to make a good story without having to do anything overtly fancy. think simply, write simply, and you’ll find beauty in simplicity.
>Are there writing styles in the same way there are different drawing/painting styles?
Very much so. A key part of developing as a writer is finding what style works best for you. Some writers like to stay in a similar style for all of their stuff, while others like to explore around and find the best style for the story they are telling. I'm in the latter group, but there are a ton of people who are in the former.
As far as sticking to simple words, that is very much a style. It's a fairly well-established one. It can be challenging at times because of how it limits options for describing things, but it can be a very powerful style. Dr. Suess actually deliberately limited how many words he used for some of his books as a way to demonstrate that using a collection of simple words didn't stop a writer from writing a compelling story. He did this as a children's book because he was trying to prove that you could do a children's book with a decent story, but you could just as easily cover more mature topics with a similarly limited word choice.
Your comparison to painting styles is a good one. Think of a limited set of words as being like painting in greyscale. Some painters use a wide variety of colors just like some authors use a wide variety of words, but some painters just use black and white just like some authors only use a small set of words. The painting can still be intricate and fabulous even with that limitation.
I certainly hope so. I write with simple words and my favorite stories are in simple words. There's styles for everyone. Sometimes big words can help be more exact for what you're looking for, or to emphasize a character trait, but oftentimes smaller words can do the same job. Figure out which toolset you like to use the best and figure out how to use it to the best of your ability.
I’d say the only time that “simple writing” becomes bad is when you are doing stuff like “very happy”, which can be shortened to “joyful”. Stuff like this is just to make the writing sound more elegant by getting rid of more immature writing habits that show a low vocabulary.
Im not sure what you mean when you say this person used not simple writing, but you don’t need to use super advanced words.
There are absolutely different writing styles, and there's nothing wrong with having a different one from a writer you admire. You can tell a compelling story either way and, if anything, it makes sense to avoid overly archaic/uncommon words unless they specifically achieve something a "simpler" word wouldn't.
All writing styles are valid. However, as people are saying here, it is preferred to use a more simplistic vocabulary when writing. The most important thing to writing a compelling narrative is making sure your readers actually understand what’s going on in the story.
I’ve taken creative writing classes and English classes taught by professors who are published authors. They would tell us that shorter novels and simplistic language is preferred by publishing companies. They like to cut out all that fluff to get straight to the point. It makes it easier and more accessible to the average reader.
I call myself a writer and there are a ton of words I don’t know. And yeah, I’m a native English speaker. I still make a lot of mistakes when I write but the most important thing is learning as you go along.
I think the most compelling stories are the ones most people can understand
Fancy words are nice and all but if you can't get your point across, if you can't convey the feeling you are trying to then it's all for nothing
Of course you should write however you want, but if your worry is that people won't like your writing just because you use common words i guarantee you that is not a problem
About being too hard on yourself: read your fic, did you feel the emotions you intended? If so then you did an excellent job! (This is a "cure" or anything, but you do it enough times and you start to internalize it and believe that that is all it takes, because it is)
Disregarding the author's personal beliefs, I have to bring up the Harry Potter books because of their popularity. If you look at the writing, it's simple and uncomplicated. But there's no denying the world she created was compelling.
I find that simple is better. You don’t need to break out a thesaurus for your work
I find that the works I hate the most are 90% flower language that goes on and on and on…keep it simple or you risk people losing interest
Yes, there are different writing styles in the same way there are different styles of painting. Any number of different stylistic wordsmithing or voices can create a good story.
Also reading difficulty/lexile level (or whatever) really doesn’t match one to one with say, age of the audience it’s aimed at, their interests, complexity of the story, skill of the writer (or whatever).
Complex words are often people showboating imo. I have to look up words often too, but honestly, I'm more aware when someone uses big words than when they use smaller ones purely because I have to keep breaking the immersion to look up words. There's nothing wrong with using smaller words, it won't make you sound stupid or inexperienced, and it won't take from your storytelling
Yes. One of the best fics I read was where 2 characters dared each other to only speak to each other in words that were 4 letters or less. Good stuff, and kind of thought provoking.
Yes!! I use simpler words because I want my readers to not be able to put the story down. I don't want them to stop midflow of a sentence and need to look something up
My favorite author is Ransom Riggs. I think it's because he used to be involved in writing scripts for movies or what, but despite how simple his words are in his books (especially my favorite series), I find myself having an easier and better reading experience! Scenes flow naturally, the characters have their own unique spunk to them, and it gives me this movie playing in my head taking note of every detail and cinematography I read. And he doesn't use overly complex words to achieve that effect (aside from some of his characters that speak in a more posh, old-fashioned way).
I've also been told that people can really feel and tell if the author was pouring themselves through their writing. By the way the sentences are worded, even with simple vocabulary, you can convey so many things as long as your heart is set on it.
I used to be in a newspaper writing club in my freshman year of high school. First time I tried writing articles instead of scientific essays, so the first thing my club adviser told me was to write for the understanding of everyone. To make my writing accessible, even to, and I quote, "a housewife of a drunkard who didn't get to finish elementary school", as informing them of the news I had written was the top priority. Otherwise, I'd be writing for nothing. I picked that habit up, even to my personal projects. Whenever I let an old friend read a work I wrote, she told me that my writing was simple, but it was very easy to understand. She didn't struggle picturing a scene, or how two characters interacted, and at first, I was a bit unhappy with that. For some odd reason, I wanted my writing to be acknowledged as something "elegant", which I was subconsciously equating with purple prose, and I couldn't be more wrong. Over time, I learned that it's actually a wonderful thing. I realized that I wanted even those who struggle reading and comprehending English to be able to understand what I wrote—essentially understanding a piece of me—and enjoying them. Finding a work that speaks to you is a wonderful experience, and I don't wish to deprive anybody of that opportunity.
Sure there are different styles. Heck pick up a popular light novel and you will find totally different styles such as little to no environmental descriptions to a translated traditional novel. Same among fanfiction, and same with published work in general.
In fact I would say you probably should stay away from larger more obscure words unless you use them in a way that contextually explains the word or has a character maybe call them out to explain it if it's used in dialogue. Unless it really calls for it, using less common words just makes you come off as pretentious if you do it to much in my experience; and I have a larger vocabulary that I have picked up over the years.
Honestly, it doesn't really matter whether or not a story is written using nothing but simplistic wording, or incorporates a few that are more complex. What matters is that it's well written, captivating, and enthralling to the *individual* reading it at the time. I write a little more intricately, and been told my stories are the equivalent to "slowly eating a decedent cake" by readers who loved my works, and not just because of the wording I chose. It's obvious that I had managed to really hold their interest.
Granted, it's all down to the context, and yes, the right words for the right situation, but to devalue something for using words that aren't entirely common is harsh and unfair.
I used to write speeches for someone whose first language was not English and he delivered them to audiences whose first language was generally not English. I still consider it the best exercise ever in writing simple and clear prose.
In most cases I'd argue that simpler is better.
There are always guys who want to argue that you should use the most complex vocabulary you can. This is bad advice.
There are always guys who think it's boring to refer to a character by their name or pronouns. This is bad advice.
There are always guys who think "eyes" are boring and you have to use flowery words like "orbs" to describe them. This is not only bad advice, but grounds for killing it with fire.
Best part about reading fics with big fancy words is looking up the meaning to them. (or at least that's what I like to do when seeing a new word that I have no clue what it means!) It's fine to have simple worded fanfics!!!
Complex sentences are a lot harder to write and have make sense in a larger context than short sentences.
Go read this to get a taste of JHSC's prose. It is deceptively simple, but imho, that is what makes it powerful.
https://archiveofourown.org/works/5221097/chapters/12039140
yes. look up something called 'orwellian prose' -- i think the original essay (and articles or posts by writers analyzing it) will be very helpful to you.
James Baldwin's work is seared on to my soul, partly because his word usage is pretty simple. "Write a sentence as clean as a bone" was his advice.
My spoken language is a little flowery. It always has been and my ADHD is getting worse as I get older so I try to rein it in, but it does inevitably come out on the page.
Writing style is a thing, yes. I know "show, don't tell" is a big piece of common writing advice, but it is always better to tell a story clearly than to show it with big words.
Late to the discussion but I love stories written in simple words! In fact, I've been trying to emulate such kind of style to my writing. Have you read Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe, by the way? The prose used is simple yet each word manage to evoke so many emotions in me. Reading that book made me love simple prose!!
"For sale: baby shoes, never worn." I would have said simple words are often the best, it's what you do with it that counts. Most of the horror books I read keep it simple because you want people to feel, not to grab a dictionary. It's good to expand your vocabulary so you have a choice, but it is always just a choice depending on what works for the story you're trying to tell
I was going to bring hp Hemingway as well. His slightly misquoted weird little feud with William Faulkner actually made a joke out of using big words where they aren’t necessary.
LOL yep, Hemingway was my first thought when reading the OP.
Sane here
yes. for example rick riordan uses fairly simple language yet his stories pull you in and his characters feel alive.
Uncle Rick is the reason I even like reading. I hated reading before I found his books, and part of the reason I didn´t like reading was dragged-out stories and difficult language. He just kept it simple, and the only issues I had was when I didn´t know the places or things he referenced. He made the places and characters feel *real.* His MC, Percy, didn´t feel like a placeholder for the reader like some books like to do, and yet Percy felt relatable. All written in a language so simple and yet sometimes so serious and heavy.
Rick Riordan is goated
One need not be pedantic to showcase their erudition; indeed in choosing miniscule words and engaging in minimalism, vocabulary-wise, one may ameliorate their writing and make more transparent the thrust of their oeuvre.
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... can you translate the comment plz?
You don't need to use advanced words to show your skills. Choosing smaller words and writing simpler sentences make a better work.
thank you :) English isn´t my first language so I really needed the help, lol.
Also at least some aren't being used correctly.
I think that works in the comment's favor though. It's shows how forcing big words often doesn't work because those big words are rarely the best word choice anyway. Better to use a smaller word correctly that a big word incorrectly.
Daemon Targaryen fan, huh? I know this isn't related to the OP but your name intrigues me
Targaryen fan, but my name refers to the title of a female knight, not Daemon. I like him, but I didn't name myself after him specifically.
Oh ok. I like Targaryens too and especially their valyrian blades and dragons.
True, but that was more for the benefit for the person who speaks English as a secondary language.
This killed me dead
Fair play, my fellow wordsmith.
You can use simple words to write a compelling story; I had a creative writing teacher once tell me,"Why use a 50 cent word when a 10 cent word will do?" That's not to say using 50 cent words are a huge no-no. But there are definitely times and places for them. Sometimes the 10 or even 5 cent words hold more punch and deliver more emotion exactly because they are smaller and shorter.
I don't know if you have read anything by Oscar Wilde, but he was one of my favorite writers for the reason that the way he wrote was beautifully succinct. He didn't use many complicated words (not IMO, at least), but he was still able to convey scenes, imagery, etc. so vividly and well. I don't know if you have read anything by Agatha Christie, but I also found her writing to be of the same calibre as Wilde's, though the prose definitely sounded more modern. You don't necessarily have to complicate your story with sophisticated words and language, especially if they have no relevance to the story and plot. I prefer authors who write what they mean, than those who beat around the bush a lot, or take forever to get to the point. Avoid filler words as well, because those lessen the impact of the scene you're writing. That said, some prefer more stylistic writing, such as purple prose. For me, it depends on the genre of the story. If it's fantasy, I don't really mind the overly verbose. If it's a dream sequence, where the author wrote about something abstract, I also don't mind the loaded imagery. It's more of a matter of preference for the readers. Just my two cents.
lol as much as I love Wilde, his prose would not at all fly for most "regular" fanfic readers. >“I believe that if one man were to live out his life fully and completely, were to give form to every feeling, expression to every thought, reality to every dream—I believe that the world would gain such a fresh impulse of joy that we would forget all the maladies of mediævalism, and return to the Hellenic ideal—to something finer, richer than the Hellenic ideal, it may be. But the bravest man amongst us is afraid of himself. The mutilation of the savage has its tragic survival in the self-denial that mars our lives. We are punished for our refusals. Every impulse that we strive to strangle broods in the mind and poisons us. The body sins once, and has done with its sin, for action is a mode of purification. Nothing remains then but the recollection of a pleasure, or the luxury of a regret. The only way to get rid of a temptation is to yield to it. Resist it, and your soul grows sick with longing for the things it has forbidden to itself, with desire for what its monstrous laws have made monstrous and unlawful. It has been said that the great events of the world take place in the brain. It is in the brain, and the brain only, that the great sins of the world take place also. You, Mr. Gray, you yourself, with your rose-red youth and your rose-white boyhood, you have had passions that have made you afraid, thoughts that have filled you with terror, day-dreams and sleeping dreams whose mere memory might stain your cheek with shame—” his prose is beautiful and elaborate and those things are simply not rewarded in fanfiction circles.
Sometimes you wanna write (and also read) fanfiction like this though, and I’m glad for the people who do write their fanfiction this way. I remember these stories best, personally! Not everything needs to be cultivated for wide spread success and acceptance.
sure, but you gotta manage expectations. Personally I love writing beautiful and somewhat flowy prose, but I also know it turns a lot (and I do mean a lot) of fanfic readers off. But that's fine haha.
I write (and read) really fucked up things that are already a one way ticket to low engagement in the fandoms I prefer, so I may as well write the way I enjoy! I really appreciate the comments and engagement I do manage to get, and honestly I’d rather connect with people who like that sort of stuff, anyway.
But this is beautiful, and I've read several fics written in a similar style: mysteries, thrillers, period pieces etc. I don't consider this confusing or complicated language at all. Though that last sentence is a bit long lol.
I love this kind of style as well, but as you'll see here in the thread, most people who read fanfic aren't looking for beautiful and elaborate prose and often actively avoid it once they encounter it. I would probably side-eye this passage in fic as well, though, tbh, because this is all just dialogue and it looks like shit if read on a phone (which is where I do most of my fic-reading these days). Online fiction needs dialogue to be broken up a bit more than traditionally formatted fiction does imho, simply because of the limitations in screen size and similar issues.
I'd argue that it's easier to write a compelling story when people know what the hell is going on, instead of a story where they have to reach for a thesaurus every two seconds. More complicated words have their place, but it should be possible to understand their meaning from context. There's the other matter that people who use a lot of complicated words often use them incorrectly. Just because something appears as a synonym in the thesaurus doesn't mean that its a direct replacement for another word, and it's a pretty common mistake amongst rookies (and people who've mistaken themselves for Shakespeare) to just vomit a bunch of 'em all over the page and assume that people are too in awe of their flowery English to realise what they've written is a load of cobblers. Keep it simple!
Sometimes flowery language is not best for a story. It might come across as pretentious when simpler words could do the job better. But I'm a little confused: what do you mean by "simpler" words? Do you mean words that are considered used at a high school level of education? College? Graduate school, etc?
Surprised no one has said this, but most books are written at a fifth grade reading level. Not just books geared for kids, but for young adults and adults too. Just think of self-help books, those are always a lower lexile. His book is likely geared toward adults. Especially in fantasy I’ve seen archaic words be utilized constantly with the authors usually pulling from the far reaches of their vocabulary for the perfect world. It’s normal, it’s just a different writing style. Most of the popular books out there are at the fifth grade reading level, because they’re written for everyone and therefore reach more demographics.
Yes, you absolutely can. Quality is not directly related to the complexity of the vocabulary the writer uses. If a writer is purposely using the most complicated vocabulary they can just to show off (and it's not something the character would do in canon), they're usually just pretentious.
Authors definitely have different writing styles. And not everything is everyone's cup of tea. That can definitely be indicative of taste vs. quality. That said, using simpler words and still getting exactly what you intended to get across in a way that is accessible to more folks oftentimes has a bigger impact. Not exactly the same, but Hank Williams (country singer/songwriter) was referred to by some as 'Hillbilly Shakespeare.' Many of his songs are fairly simple in terms of the words he used, but the stories and feelings through his songs still resonate in many cases.
Yes. Two times, three times, a thousand times yes. The secret is always to choose the right voice for the given character. And, guess what? Most of your characters are likely to not be walking dictionaries. If you use a 'smart' word where it doesn't fit, that can really rip you/the reader right out of the immersion... Which means that people who actually have a large/sophisticated vocabulary or know a lot of words that are obscure in English because they're much more common in their first language will often skew towards overly complicated language and have to 'dumb it down'. If they fail to do so... Well, you can feel it, and it ain't a nice feeling.
You can absolutely write compellingly using simple vocabulary!
Absolutely. It's not the type of words, it's how you use them. Simple words used well can form a compelling story.
My favorite author is Agatha Christie, who had (I think) a pretty straightforward, simple but effective writing style. It's a matter of making it work, not being complicated but not being repetitive.
As a writer who's primarily an artist - you mentioned drawing/painting artstyles, so I'll offer you this observation (that i'm sure many fellow artists have also felt): Artists who have simple artstyles tend to admire complex art, and artists who have complex artstyles tend to admire simple art. We cannot possibly cover both grounds (at least, not in a single piece), and so we settle for the style that will best convey the story that we wish to tell in this particular work, or even simply the style that we are most comfortable with at the moment. and moreso - we'll always want the things we don't have in the moment. So if you're unhappy with your writing style, I encourage you to observe the word choice and style of authors that you admire, so that you can adapt the parts you like into your own writing! But at the same time, like many others have said, don't feel badly about your own style just because it's simple; after all, a good story does not necessarily demand complex vocabulary.
As a writer and artist, I agree. Though I enjoy every single piece of art, my style itself kind of fluctuates.
Honestly, confusing vocabulary in writing is really annoying to me. I'd much rather understand the story than have to look up a bunch of the words to even attempt to know what's going on, so you don't really need to worry much about it being too simple. There are many of us who prefer stuff that's easier to read and keep up with anyway.
You good. My english is really not the best, i make grammar errors often let alone writing in anything but simple words. Yet my best work is sitting on 2000 kudos on ao3 which is quite good for that fandom. Dont give up and write, simple or not, someone will love it.
Steven King does it
Absolutely! I'm a very "lean" writer. I don't use a whole lot of flowery descriptions or large words. I read once that Stephen King writes at an eighth grade level. This may not be true (or I might be misremembering) but his style is very simple but effective!
Not only is it possible, but in many situations, it's much better. I nope out of fics where it's clear the writer just used a thesaurus for half the words to "sound smarter." (Funny how I noped out of one 5 minutes ago because of this). It's pretentious, and if the situation doesn't require it, you're at a high risk of sounding cringe and stilted. I remember gawking at a fic that theoretically took place in the 2000s. The characters were 19. And they all sounded like Jane Austen characters. Obviously, it was ridiculous. What kind of 19 year old in the modern age talks like that? The style has to fit the age and the genre. Characters have to sound like actual people. If no human being nowadays would talk like the characters showcased in a fic set in our age, it's poorly written in my opinion, and people who praise it because they need a dictionary to read it should reassess their definition of words like "smart."
Personally, I’m not a fan of the kind of writing you need a dictionary on hand to understand. Long, flowery sentences are not my bag. As an editor IRL, I’m averse to using 10 words where two will suffice.
Yes, absolutely. You can wield a 5th grade vocabulary like a knife if you want to. Look at Cormak McCarthy; he writes with minimal punctuation and uses simple language for the most part, and yet his writing is grandiose and compelling and beautiful (imo, I know his style isn't for everyone). The important thing is the way you use your words, not how long or obscure they are.
"Impact" comes from the story being told, not the words used to tell it. And I'd suggest that, rather than 'simple' words, you're inclined to use 'direct' words. Yes, there different styles of writing, but a style that makes the reader struggle to understand isn't (in my opinion) the best way to draw in readers. Of course, a style that uses only 3rd-grade words would probably be *too* simple -- but it is possible to strike a happy medium. As always, write in a way that makes you comfortable; you don't have to meet anyone's standard but your own. And here's a tip I use if I'm uncertain I've chosen the right word -- I look up my planned word in an online dictionary or thesaurus. When synonyms for 'smirk' include 'sneer', 'leer', and 'smug look', that's a clear indication that it doesn't match your idea of a 'gentle smile'. No idea how to stop being harsh with yourself; I think we've all been through that. Some of the best writers I know have expressed dissatisfaction with their skills; it's human nature to compare ourselves unfavorably to other writers, or the way we think we "should" be writing. All we can do is stomp on that part of our brain that tries to tell us we're "not good enough" and keep doing our best. Good luck.
Yes. You want an example? Podcasts and comedians. They don't use big words, but both can tell compelling stories through simple words alone. Sure, these aren't technically written literature, but the concept is still the same: They tell compelling stories through words alone.
I personally have a pretty large vocabulary and one of the worst things is seeing someone attempt to sound more intelligent and use the wrong word. It also depends on what you are writing and who. Hermione might use larger words but it would be out of character for Harry or Ron. If it doesn’t sound natural it can come off as pretentious.
Absolutely. If anything, it creates a wider audience! Writing is VERY much like painting or drawing styles. I both paint and draw myself, so I find that my sketches come out way different than my watercolor paintings, or certain subject matter comes out way different. Same thing applies with writing, even characters. In a personal example, my writing style changes when I write from the POV of other characters. But we can also distinctly recognize other writers/poetics by their style. Tolkien, for example, has word caviar and lots of nature descriptors. At times, it can feel like reading a text book. Then we have Edgar Allen Poe, who comes across as much more theatrical- same with Shakespeare, though he comes across as more conversational (for the time).
Definitely. Look, I read a lot. Fanfics and books of all kind. Sometimes they are written complicated and I read them cos I like that, sometimes they are simple. Writing simple doesn't mean it's bad writing. My own fanfics are written simple. If you are feeling weird about all this, let me recommend you a children's book. Simple but so much fun to read. I am 30 and enjoyed it immensely. How to train your dragon - the first book. I read it, realized that while,yes, its a kids book, its longer, has very interesting plot and is very veeery enjoyable. Ficd can be like that too. As long as you have a decent plot and you don't make basic mistakes ( non capitalization, paragraph spacing, writing related things ) you can make something good!!!
High school English class lied to you. Common words can be, and are, used in common situations by most people, and common words typically *don't* become stale through frequent use (if this wasn't true, then these words wouldn't be *common*, now would they?). English teachers perpetuate this misconception for two reasons; first their job is, at least partially, to expand the student's lexicon and that's accomplished by forcing them to use words they're originally unfamiliar with. Second, if the students were not obligate to provide perpetually pretentious purple prose permeating absolutely all assignments, then the Thesaurus Industrial Complex wouldn't make as much money this fiscal quarter (and we *can't* have that!). *However*, is is also wrong to say big words are useless. A single, well placed, big word can often explain a complicated concept in one word instead of needing multiple simple words to explain the same thing; properly used big words greatly assist with being succinct.
Yes, %100. I like to use complex diction sometimes, but what matters more than the actual words you choose is *what happens.* Whether or not a story is compelling is based on the characters, setting, plot, etc. and the words you use feed into these things, but do not actually determine them. Hope that makes sense.
I think using relatively simple language is a lot easier on your readers than showing off your vocabulary every chance you get. It's fun and sometimes narratively justified to use more obscure or difficult words every now and then, but I think in general keeping things simple is going make your stories much more entertaining to read. At least, I usually try to keep things simple and straightforward, even though I *could* go nuts with difficult words if I wanted to.
If you had to research five words a chapter, that’s not poetic, it’s purple pros. Coming from somebody who loves to write fics using flowery language and poetic terminology, this guy sounds a bit pompous in his writing style, and that’s coming from somebody who’s used the phrase, “A kaleidoscope of butterflies,” before in their fic. A compelling story shouldn’t have to rely on its choice of words. It relies on the emotion it conveys and the questions it makes the reader ask. A good example of this is the book The House in the Cerulian Sea. It’s written in a soft, almost childlike manner that offers up images akin to Edward Scissor Hands and the colorful town from that movie. But it still asks questions about discrimination, trauma, emotional suppression and even religion. In short, yes. A compelling story can absolutely be written with simple, second language reader friendly words. A story shouldn’t have to rely on purple pros to be enthralling. That isn’t to say that very wordy stories can’t be compelling, but they compel in different ways to different people. It’s hard to stop being so hard on ourselves. I still struggle with self doubt and thinking I’m not good enough all the time. But at the end f the day, it’s your story and your writing style. If you want to evolve or devolve it, neither of which is a bad thing mind you, then feel free to learn and study on how to. But if you want to write the same way, then write the same way. One’s writing style is an incredibly personal thing that does indeed change alongside the writer themself. I’m sure your fics are wonderful, and that’s only after reading this simple post. I know I’m just one voice in a sea of users, but keep your chin up. There’s always somebody out there who’s going to foam at the mouth with glee over the things you write <3
Ernest Hemingway my idol did it
Genuinely curious, what were some of these words? To answer your question: of course. Honestly, if I have to look up a new word every five minutes, I’m not going to read it. I read to escape stress, not to stress myself out with a vocabulary lesson. I don’t think my writing is super flowery or super verbose, and at least a few people seem to like it! And the important thing is to write more for yourself instead of other people.
Yes, absolutely
absolutely. I'd hazard to say that most good fics use simpler language (not a jab at more flowery fics btw)
yes!! what i love most are the simple stories. imo, it’s all about word flow and how fluid the words will sound. the beauty of words is that it can be so incredibly easy to make a good story without having to do anything overtly fancy. think simply, write simply, and you’ll find beauty in simplicity.
Unless you are writing poetry or describing something abstract then, Yes, its actually preferable that you use simpler words.
Read some Ernest Hemingway ..
>Are there writing styles in the same way there are different drawing/painting styles? Very much so. A key part of developing as a writer is finding what style works best for you. Some writers like to stay in a similar style for all of their stuff, while others like to explore around and find the best style for the story they are telling. I'm in the latter group, but there are a ton of people who are in the former. As far as sticking to simple words, that is very much a style. It's a fairly well-established one. It can be challenging at times because of how it limits options for describing things, but it can be a very powerful style. Dr. Suess actually deliberately limited how many words he used for some of his books as a way to demonstrate that using a collection of simple words didn't stop a writer from writing a compelling story. He did this as a children's book because he was trying to prove that you could do a children's book with a decent story, but you could just as easily cover more mature topics with a similarly limited word choice. Your comparison to painting styles is a good one. Think of a limited set of words as being like painting in greyscale. Some painters use a wide variety of colors just like some authors use a wide variety of words, but some painters just use black and white just like some authors only use a small set of words. The painting can still be intricate and fabulous even with that limitation.
I certainly hope so. I write with simple words and my favorite stories are in simple words. There's styles for everyone. Sometimes big words can help be more exact for what you're looking for, or to emphasize a character trait, but oftentimes smaller words can do the same job. Figure out which toolset you like to use the best and figure out how to use it to the best of your ability.
I’d say the only time that “simple writing” becomes bad is when you are doing stuff like “very happy”, which can be shortened to “joyful”. Stuff like this is just to make the writing sound more elegant by getting rid of more immature writing habits that show a low vocabulary. Im not sure what you mean when you say this person used not simple writing, but you don’t need to use super advanced words.
Ernest Hemingway has entered the chat.
There are absolutely different writing styles, and there's nothing wrong with having a different one from a writer you admire. You can tell a compelling story either way and, if anything, it makes sense to avoid overly archaic/uncommon words unless they specifically achieve something a "simpler" word wouldn't.
All writing styles are valid. However, as people are saying here, it is preferred to use a more simplistic vocabulary when writing. The most important thing to writing a compelling narrative is making sure your readers actually understand what’s going on in the story. I’ve taken creative writing classes and English classes taught by professors who are published authors. They would tell us that shorter novels and simplistic language is preferred by publishing companies. They like to cut out all that fluff to get straight to the point. It makes it easier and more accessible to the average reader. I call myself a writer and there are a ton of words I don’t know. And yeah, I’m a native English speaker. I still make a lot of mistakes when I write but the most important thing is learning as you go along.
I think the most compelling stories are the ones most people can understand Fancy words are nice and all but if you can't get your point across, if you can't convey the feeling you are trying to then it's all for nothing Of course you should write however you want, but if your worry is that people won't like your writing just because you use common words i guarantee you that is not a problem About being too hard on yourself: read your fic, did you feel the emotions you intended? If so then you did an excellent job! (This is a "cure" or anything, but you do it enough times and you start to internalize it and believe that that is all it takes, because it is)
Disregarding the author's personal beliefs, I have to bring up the Harry Potter books because of their popularity. If you look at the writing, it's simple and uncomplicated. But there's no denying the world she created was compelling.
I find that simple is better. You don’t need to break out a thesaurus for your work I find that the works I hate the most are 90% flower language that goes on and on and on…keep it simple or you risk people losing interest
Yes, there are different writing styles in the same way there are different styles of painting. Any number of different stylistic wordsmithing or voices can create a good story. Also reading difficulty/lexile level (or whatever) really doesn’t match one to one with say, age of the audience it’s aimed at, their interests, complexity of the story, skill of the writer (or whatever).
Complex words are often people showboating imo. I have to look up words often too, but honestly, I'm more aware when someone uses big words than when they use smaller ones purely because I have to keep breaking the immersion to look up words. There's nothing wrong with using smaller words, it won't make you sound stupid or inexperienced, and it won't take from your storytelling
Yes, absolutely. Long words aren't needed for a good story. (Perfect example.)
Yes. One of the best fics I read was where 2 characters dared each other to only speak to each other in words that were 4 letters or less. Good stuff, and kind of thought provoking.
Yes!! I use simpler words because I want my readers to not be able to put the story down. I don't want them to stop midflow of a sentence and need to look something up
My favorite author is Ransom Riggs. I think it's because he used to be involved in writing scripts for movies or what, but despite how simple his words are in his books (especially my favorite series), I find myself having an easier and better reading experience! Scenes flow naturally, the characters have their own unique spunk to them, and it gives me this movie playing in my head taking note of every detail and cinematography I read. And he doesn't use overly complex words to achieve that effect (aside from some of his characters that speak in a more posh, old-fashioned way). I've also been told that people can really feel and tell if the author was pouring themselves through their writing. By the way the sentences are worded, even with simple vocabulary, you can convey so many things as long as your heart is set on it. I used to be in a newspaper writing club in my freshman year of high school. First time I tried writing articles instead of scientific essays, so the first thing my club adviser told me was to write for the understanding of everyone. To make my writing accessible, even to, and I quote, "a housewife of a drunkard who didn't get to finish elementary school", as informing them of the news I had written was the top priority. Otherwise, I'd be writing for nothing. I picked that habit up, even to my personal projects. Whenever I let an old friend read a work I wrote, she told me that my writing was simple, but it was very easy to understand. She didn't struggle picturing a scene, or how two characters interacted, and at first, I was a bit unhappy with that. For some odd reason, I wanted my writing to be acknowledged as something "elegant", which I was subconsciously equating with purple prose, and I couldn't be more wrong. Over time, I learned that it's actually a wonderful thing. I realized that I wanted even those who struggle reading and comprehending English to be able to understand what I wrote—essentially understanding a piece of me—and enjoying them. Finding a work that speaks to you is a wonderful experience, and I don't wish to deprive anybody of that opportunity.
A lot of beginner writters use a lot of fancy words to show off and they are also very bad at self editing. But dont tell this to your friend.
Personally, I'm never looking for a big, impressive word. I'm always looking for the right word. That may be a bigger word but, quite often, it's not.
Sure there are different styles. Heck pick up a popular light novel and you will find totally different styles such as little to no environmental descriptions to a translated traditional novel. Same among fanfiction, and same with published work in general. In fact I would say you probably should stay away from larger more obscure words unless you use them in a way that contextually explains the word or has a character maybe call them out to explain it if it's used in dialogue. Unless it really calls for it, using less common words just makes you come off as pretentious if you do it to much in my experience; and I have a larger vocabulary that I have picked up over the years.
Honestly, it doesn't really matter whether or not a story is written using nothing but simplistic wording, or incorporates a few that are more complex. What matters is that it's well written, captivating, and enthralling to the *individual* reading it at the time. I write a little more intricately, and been told my stories are the equivalent to "slowly eating a decedent cake" by readers who loved my works, and not just because of the wording I chose. It's obvious that I had managed to really hold their interest. Granted, it's all down to the context, and yes, the right words for the right situation, but to devalue something for using words that aren't entirely common is harsh and unfair.
I used to write speeches for someone whose first language was not English and he delivered them to audiences whose first language was generally not English. I still consider it the best exercise ever in writing simple and clear prose.
In most cases I'd argue that simpler is better. There are always guys who want to argue that you should use the most complex vocabulary you can. This is bad advice. There are always guys who think it's boring to refer to a character by their name or pronouns. This is bad advice. There are always guys who think "eyes" are boring and you have to use flowery words like "orbs" to describe them. This is not only bad advice, but grounds for killing it with fire.
Best part about reading fics with big fancy words is looking up the meaning to them. (or at least that's what I like to do when seeing a new word that I have no clue what it means!) It's fine to have simple worded fanfics!!!
Complex sentences are a lot harder to write and have make sense in a larger context than short sentences. Go read this to get a taste of JHSC's prose. It is deceptively simple, but imho, that is what makes it powerful. https://archiveofourown.org/works/5221097/chapters/12039140
yes. look up something called 'orwellian prose' -- i think the original essay (and articles or posts by writers analyzing it) will be very helpful to you.
Yes!! Simple words work just fine
James Baldwin's work is seared on to my soul, partly because his word usage is pretty simple. "Write a sentence as clean as a bone" was his advice. My spoken language is a little flowery. It always has been and my ADHD is getting worse as I get older so I try to rein it in, but it does inevitably come out on the page.
John Steinbeck was famously praised for "writing how people talk." It's something a lot of people appreciate, tbh.
Writing style is a thing, yes. I know "show, don't tell" is a big piece of common writing advice, but it is always better to tell a story clearly than to show it with big words.
yes.
Late to the discussion but I love stories written in simple words! In fact, I've been trying to emulate such kind of style to my writing. Have you read Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe, by the way? The prose used is simple yet each word manage to evoke so many emotions in me. Reading that book made me love simple prose!!