Richard Pierce

Richard Pierce – author, poet, painter

Poetry, Writing

26/2023

I almost can’t bring myself
To use barely in a sentence. It
Smacks of a desperate writer
Caught between purple prose and
Something approaching reasonable
Writing, someone so bound to
Adjective and adverb-laden language
A normal sentence is almost
Beyond aspiration or skill.
Give me something to get my teeth
Into, a narrative without overused
Short cuts, and I’ll read it, and
Perhaps write it. Barely doesn’t
Cut it.

R 26/01/2023 16:55

Today’s #MastoPrompt was #barely. As you can tell, it didn’t exactly grab or illuminate me. I do, in general, dislike -ly and -ing words. Especially when writers use -ly words in speech tags, and -ing words to make two short sentences into one. I suppose someone will now go through my work and tell me I overuse them, too. Though I doubt it. Cold and tired. There, not a -ly or -ing in sight.

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2 Comments

  1. Ren Powell

    27th January 2023 at 06:12

    I only like it when it has to do with skin somehow – the metaphor present. But then… I actually can’t think of an example.
    She was barely present in the room – like a naked white frond unfolding unnoticed in the corner.
    There? πŸ˜‰ I will take prompts from your prompts and maybe even make an effort with Mastadon.

    1. Richard Pierce

      27th January 2023 at 19:57

      I was thinking of skin yesterday, too, but wasn’t in the mood to write anything sensual. Maybe I spend too much time on social media – but let it just be said that I find Mastodon a very interesting and comforting place πŸ™‚

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