How do you avoid purple prose?

Question

I try to watch out for bland, overused adjectives and I keep adverbs to a minimum but -- I hear this phrase a lot and I'm not even sure what it means?

Answer 1

Purple prose is just writing that is over-elaborate in such a way that it becomes hard to read, abuses figurative language, and obfuscates the meaning behind the sentence.

To put it plainly: Purple prose reads as cheesy, tacky, cliche etc.

It is fine to use more elaborate vocabulary to add zest to writing, but if it takes away from the message itself the verbiage needs to be adjusted.

Purple prose example:

The hum of the air conditioner was as persistent as a honey bee seeking pollen, the air hung heavy and cold in the humble abode, and the incessant clicking of the cold keyboard made the writer's mind wander from the task currently at hand.

As opposed to a more tolerable: The steady hum of the air conditioner pumped frigid air into the small office. The constant clicking from the writer's obnoxious keyboard drove his mind to wander elsewhere from his work.

The inappropriate overuse of figurative language, unnecessary use of alliteration, and lack of succinctness in the purple prose example make it significantly more time consuming and annoying to read. The same sentence edited is half the length, avoids bland/overused adjectives, and conveys the same message albeit more quickly.

The best way to avoid purple prose is to read your work out loud. If it does not sound like something a human being would naturally say than it probably does not work in the writing either. Using elaborate and exciting adjectives and language is not a crime in and of itself. If you suspect your writing is borderline purple prose adjust it in such a way that it is easy to read aloud, does not overuse figurative language, and still conveys the same message.