Descriptive Language

Use this forum to discuss the April 2018 Book of the Month, "Ironbark Hill" by Jennie Linnane
liftedbooks
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Re: Descriptive Language

Post by liftedbooks »

You will be glad to know that it is not just you who noticed this :). I am NOT a fan of flowery language, however in this case I could tolerate it for the sake of the greater message and wanting to finish the book.
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[Valerie Allen]
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Post by [Valerie Allen] »

Maybe it's written this way because of the time period or maybe the author just doesn't understand English language the way we know it.
And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. (Revelation 20:12 (NKJV) :reading-7:
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Post by 00LynnMarie »

I felt at times that the author was a tad verbose. I didn't find it to be quite as tedious as a Dickens novel, but it was a bit much in places.
"There are times when the world is rearranging itself, and at times like that, the right words can change the world." - Orson Scott Card, Ender's Game
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Post by JR Mercier »

Sometimes I find it difficult to connect to the characters in a story when the language is overly descriptive. It's a hard one because other times it's those heavy descriptions that make the book so good.
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-brintontaylor
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Post by -brintontaylor »

The writer definitely uses very advanced vocabulary in my opinion, sometimes over-using it I suppose. Although, it does flow still apart from a few words that I didn't understand and had to stop and find out what they meant :D
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Post by Wesley Liu »

When the amount of description and adjectives is overused, which it occasionally is in this book, then it can break the flow. The strain that the overuse of description on basic grammar can be very distracting to a reader, if they are trying to read smoothly and then get caught up in rocky phrases. Every once in a while, I think that it is fine to use around two adjectives to describe a specific noun, if it is completely necessary, but anything more than two adjectives that is constantly happening throughout the writing is too distracting and bothering to the reader.
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Post by VirgoRules2018 »

Depending on the type of novel that one is writing, the use of the descriptive language may be an important part of the story itself. But when an average reader finds it takes too much effort and energy, to pause, at every other expression or paragraph.... then it becomes too much.
You want people to read and understand the emotion and for them to be able to visualize but at the end ...it should not be a mental workout that leaves you exhausted. It is a balance that must be struck but it can be difficult.... especially for new writers who are trying to feel out the audience and still give them a clear enough picture of the story.
In the authors' mind, it may have been as clear as day, because they know the entire story. It is the communication of that story in an interesting, attention-grabbing style that can be a bit challenging to pin down sometimes. But with experience.....and through trial and error...a writer can learn.
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Post by ChrisChatfield »

Descriptive language is almost always a good thing, as long as it relates to the story. I've read books with whole chapters fill with descriptive language that do nothing to explain or enhance the plot.
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Mercelle
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Post by Mercelle »

I agree that the overly descriptive language could be a turn-off for a lot of readers. When I read the sample, I was taken aback by the somewhat complicated vocabulary, which had me debating hard as to whether I should read the rest of the book.
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Chanti Stargirl
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Post by Chanti Stargirl »

Descriptive language is great but I like it when the author gives just enough description to fuel your imagination and then lets you go.
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Bikko
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Post by Bikko »

Desccrptive language helped me a lot to comprehend the backbone of the story just from the blurb to end.
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Bikko
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Post by Bikko »

Mercy Bolo wrote: 08 Jun 2018, 04:26 I agree that the overly descriptive language could be a turn-off for a lot of readers. When I read the sample, I was taken aback by the somewhat complicated vocabulary, which had me debating hard as to whether I should read the rest of the book.
Me too I found it too involving and very hard to make up what the story entails .
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Post by Zain A Blade »

PlanetHauth wrote: 20 Apr 2018, 00:41 I admire writing that is highly descriptive and flowery, but only if it works well. If it's difficult to read and understand, then it's really just an overload on the brain, like has been mentioned. Being able to write well is a trainable skill, but being able to write flowery descriptions that flow and read well is a talent that is an artform. Some people can do it, most can't, in my opinion.
I totally agree. You often come across modern writers who use flowery language without first having acquired the artistic skill for it. It requires more than just knowledge of a language, to get away with it one needs to be a real poet at heart.
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Post by Kmykel »

I noticed it too, don't worry. I tolerate "fancy" storytelling pretty well, but it did grind on me as well.
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Post by AWANDO OGUTU »

Descriptive language often results to repetition of words by authors within the same work.
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