Writing Style and Concise Descriptions.

I have been looking around this forum and realized that-- I really don't like pussyfooting descriptions.

When a person tries to be vague or mysterious or add some kind of pseudo-mystic wonder to his description of even the most simple thing.

He is not even attempting to create the serene atmosphere of a man standing before a huge body of water that is lapping at the sand then drawing back again while the sun -- so big that it appears to sinking directly into the water -- lowers in the horizon, making burning red reflections on the clouds while the wind rushes by, tugging at the man's loose shirt.

No, he just writes awkwardly and boringly. In a way that makes you want to skip it because you really get the point long before he is finished and the superfluousness just drives you up the wall.


Writing is so much more enjoyable when people just write what is happening instead of being ostentatious, writing the equivalent of singing with flourishing hand motions, head jerks, and entirely inappropriate vocalizing.

Moreover, it is a shame that the English language, giving a writer so many ways at his disposal to express himself, is being suppressed by so many people.

Here is a list of some things that are quite useful in expression, but seldom used or are often misused:

The ellipsis, (How could you. . .?)
the dash, (I-- don't know.)
the italic, (You are a jerk!)
the exclamation point, (What are you talking about!)
and, finally, the run-on sentence.

That's right, the run-on sentence! Before you discredit everything I have said, consider:

A run-on sentence can be used to denote a sense of manic, or a sense of frustration, or a sense of comedy.
It all depends on how you use it. Of course, you are always going to have people who frown upon these things, regardless of how well they are used. You cannot, of course, shun a run-on sentence in a quotation, though I would be willing to wager that people would, anyway.

I am considering a style of writing that demonstrates character's speech patterns with a colorful use of punctuation.

Take this, for example:

"And then! . . . well, I looked him, right, in the-- wait! Are you looking at me! There are a thousand people in this place, and -- what's this? -- you just happen to be looking in my general direction well my. . . well, my good man! Let us have a drink!"

With context, one will immediately get a feel for his drunkenness, or craziness, or what ever he is and why he is speaking this way.

That's just me, though.

- Atari