A style based on verbs -- do you insist on it?

[Octagon]

For a long time when writing I often used nominalizations, aiming to make my prose conform to the style I preferred, either a style I was trying to emulate or a style based upon it, leading me to write in a manner challenging for some. This was not the only thing that hindered my writing's clarity, but many other factors furthered the problem. But I ask you for your opinion of this: Is a style based on verbs superior, or for literary art's sake, is it acceptable to use more artful language?

Explaining more fully, I'm following a book called "Style: Ten Lessons in Clarity and Grace". The real question is: Is a style adhering to its principles superior?

Thank you for your answers in advance.

[Alatariel]

You'll get lots of differing opinions on style but I don't think any is superior to another. However, I think it has to do more with narrative voice than anything else. If you have a compelling character who tells the story from a unique perspective (a distinct voice), it makes the story worth reading. I'm not sure what a style based on verbs means, you need more than just verbs to tell a story. Can you give an example?

As for style, these are the tenants I prefer:

- engaging and unique narrative voice
- immersive/close POV (like limited 3rd or 1st person rather than omniscient)
- sensory details to bring the setting to life
- clear narrative rather than purple prose

Hope that helps! What can others add? Curious to see.

[Octagon]

Jan 6, 2022 21:01:16 GMT -6 Alatariel said:

You'll get lots of differing opinions on style but I don't think any is superior to another. However, I think it has to do more with narrative voice than anything else. If you have a compelling character who tells the story from a unique perspective (a distinct voice), it makes the story worth reading. I'm not sure what a style based on verbs means, you need more than just verbs to tell a story. Can you give an example?

As for style, these are the tenants I prefer:

- engaging and unique narrative voice
- immersive/close POV (like limited 3rd or 1st person rather than omniscient)
- sensory details to bring the setting to life
- clear narrative rather than purple prose

Hope that helps! What can others add? Curious to see.

Thank you for your I insight.

I still have to do some reading of fiction, which for me is often a challenge, before I start writing any fiction myself, not as though I had written none in the past, but for the writing of fiction with professional quality, it is of necessity that I read many books, all being ones that are written as fiction, this according to the common advice of the day.

Now opinions on prose style, I still await.