How to polish prose? Smooth the reading. For example: changing words or phrases.
Golden rule mantra:
Prefer the familiar to the unknown word.
Prefer the single word to a long description: say ‘boulder’ rather than ‘large rock’.
Prefer the simple to the complicated: say ‘use’ rather than ‘utilization’.
Prefer the short word to the long.
Prefer the standard to the off-beat.
Prefer the specific to the general.
Prefer the definite to the vague.
Prefer the concrete to the abstract.
Polish Prose Check Points
- check for unnecessary adverbs
- check your verbs for specificity and movement
- catch phrases
- rhythm
- break up long sentences
- check for passive voice
- check word choice definitions on terms you’re not 100% certain about
- analyse your text for the habit of overusing a particular word
Common Mistake – The unintentional wimp character
Select a character and check for the following:
- Take a breath / Exhale / Sigh etc
- Shrug
- Hesitates
- Has visceral responses to minor triggers (heart attack from the toast popping out of the toaster? Wimp…)
- Indulges in negative and passive emotions such as sadness or grief
- Has tears in their eyes or moist eyes
- Thinking for more than one line at a time
- Bites their lip/cheek/nails
- Freezes
- Clenches their jaw (suppressed anger)
- Gulps / swallows hard / clears throat / drops jaw
- Stares in disbelief
- Tries or attempt something. Double the points if this is connected to emotion.
- “Feels” (He felt sad/ he felt happy etc)
- “Finds himself” (He found himself at her front door)
- Involuntary actions / unconscious action
- A body part performs the action instead of the character (His hands reached her lips)
If your character scores 3 or more wimp points in a scene, he’s a wimp. If your character scores 10-15 or more points in the whole story, he’s a wimp.
*Exceptions: romance novels allow for more wimp points. Females are allowed more wimp points than males. Having one of each makes your character look less of a wimp than repeated wimp actions.
How to fix an unintended wimp
Example:
Character tried or attempted something.
Wimp: She hesitated and
bit her lip.
Timid: She hesitated.
Spunky: She halted.
Wimp:
She tried to pull with all her might.
Spunky: She pulled with
all her might but the knot would not come loose.