How flowery is your language while writing articles

iamawriter Level 1

January 6, 2018, 5:28 am

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How flowery is your language while writing articles

Everyone is in a mighty hurry to put pen to paper as more one writes more one earns and some sites just want substance regardless of how badly the content is written. I have come across some writers here who do take the trouble to write in a manner that makes me go through their content over and over again.
What do you think? Should one spend time where flowery language does not benefit one monetarily?

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Barida

Barida

I don't know for others, but I always feel relaxed when writing for I know that making good contents is as important as reading what others wrote. So, I ensure that I write in good English and correct context as well.

7 years ago

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tiffiecute

tiffiecute

I agree. Even you're flowery with words but you don't exercise simple correct grammar, spelling, etc., everything will be cheap since it is with poor quality content.

7 years ago

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Martinsx1

Martinsx1

My utmost concern when penning down an article is to write something that would be easier to understand and appreciated by those who deem it fit to read my work. Making use of ambiguous words isn't my specialty because it makes understanding difficult for readers, and it would be a wasted effort if your work isn't read and understood.

7 years ago

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anahbello1206

anahbello1206

Generally when I write I sometimes make it flowery by adding some words that make the content interesting and fun. Although I do not use it very often but I find writing that way fun and makes me look spontaneous.

7 years ago

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jeffreyjose48

jeffreyjose48

I don't want to be flowery in my articles. I really want to go right to the point. Flowery in writing is good to lengthen your article. If you really want to be brief in writing you need to avoid being flowery. I think all the women writers are good in this. Its because men are objective. Women are subjective and emotional.

In my opinion, men loves to write articles that are short and objective. Women are much more attentive to all even the smallest details. Their brains are wired like that. Just like in speaking, men for example has 100 words per minute but women has 1,000 words more.

6 years ago

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jeffreyjose48

jeffreyjose48

I don't really know how to make a flowery article. I hope I can make one. You really have great vocabulary if you want to be flowery.

6 years ago

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mildredtabitha

mildredtabitha

I think the majority who use flowery language, do so to look like they know more or to look professional. I think no one should waste time writing in flowery manner if it doesn't benefit them monetarily. I think plain simple language is better as long as the content is also to the point.

No need to beat around the bush and use extreme words just to sound cool. I think using simple words is better especially when writing for readers but if you are writing for money and it pays off, you can continue using flowery language while writing.

7 years ago

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iamawriter

iamawriter

Not everyone has ambitions to write books and that having said whenever they get an opportunity to make use of their expertise visa-a-vis the English language they get tempted to write using idioms and stuff - just an outlet

7 years ago

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Baburra

Baburra

I agree. I see a lot of people do this in their writing and I think it sometimes does work because a lot of the average population can be easily fooled by flowery words so they hear someone using deep words and they automatically think they are smart but in some cases or for some of the more discerning people who can see right through it, it has the opposite effect because they can tell that the person is just trying to sound smart instead of actually being smart.

7 years ago

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iamawriter

iamawriter

(lol) Well said. Do you know it is difficult to write simple language as one has to explain everything without resorting to idioms and phrases and I also know the kind you have described in my life.

7 years ago

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Steve5

Steve5

Like most people, mine was considerably flowery when I first began writing. It seems embarrassing to recall all of those verbose phrasings that were empty of actual worth.

I'm thankful to have learned how to write in simple, clear, and coherent sentences. There's no shortcut. But you do get better if you keep trying. It's just part of the process.

7 years ago

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JoeMilford

JoeMilford

i really like your comment here. It is really obvious, whether you are reading someone on the page, digital or not, or speaking to them face-to-face when he or she is speaking out of his or her depth. The vocabulary they are using will not seem grounded or in the proper context with the content. Also, people who overdo this start to sound like they are just regurgitating a thesaurus and not truly owning or having experience with their own owned and known language to its core (and core knowledge of vocabulary ONLY comes with strong reading habits and practice).

7 years ago

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ballyhara

ballyhara

I cannot agree more. I had the chance to have a very distinctive teacher, who used to have a very flowery speaking. Honestly, I think there are still some students trying to understand what he meant. So, if this was a teacher, who is supposed to handle grammar, spelling, and speech, in a proper way, what can we expect from students that are learning from that mess? If you keep the main fact, which is to transmit an idea, using simple, common, and non rated words, for sure people will understand everything you mean, without having their ears bleeding.

7 years ago

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DenisP

DenisP

I think it comes down to finding a decent middle ground, and adjusting to the kind of content you're writing. For example, a cooking blog - in my opinion at least - does not need the same professional language that you might use for a more serious blog about science or politics. Content about relaxed topics requires a relaxed vocabulary, while the opposite is true for more serious content. Ultimately I think that just using common sense works out best, because if you try too hard it really shows and makes things uncomfortable to read.

7 years ago

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treecko142

treecko142

This is spot on. People who use flowery language for articles can either be a person who just wants to look knowledgeable by throwing words, or people who just like to show off. It doesn't help with the article and makes it more difficult to get your point across.

7 years ago

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JoeMilford

JoeMilford

I do not think that I use flowery language all that much, but I do think that I can be a bit verbose. I think this probably comes from subconsciously imitating a lot of the literature I have read; also, as an English major, I've had to write so many essays and utilize so much varied vocabulary that this probably had a degree of making my language "flowery" at times. I think that the content and purpose should always dictate whatever type of language and vocabulary you are going to use and choose. If the language is not appropriate for the content, flowery or not, then it is not doing its best job.

7 years ago

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iamawriter

iamawriter

This reminds me of making salads. One can just mix up stuff with the salad dressing but some decorate it which adds to one's appetite but not necessarily that they taste any different. A presentation goes a long way to attract readers.

7 years ago

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ballyhara

ballyhara

Hey JoeMilford:
Certainly, I don't consider your language flowery or verbose but educated. I really appreciate a person that shows all those years of proper reading and spelling, so you don't need to make an effort, but on the contrary, it flows easily. For sure I need to improve the way I handle English, because it is not my native tongue, and basically it just requires for me to keep reading a lot, and look for the proper books and texts to read.

7 years ago

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DenisP

DenisP

Personally, I find that I sometimes inadvertently use somewhat flowery language as well. Many times I'm typing away at something, pause to read it back, and realize that what I wrote sounds way too pompous for the context which I'm writing in. I also think it has a lot to do with the actual literature I read, as well as the lectures I listen to. Like it or not, we are what we read and listen to, so you're eventually going to use similar words and sentence structures to work you've gone through. That being said, it certainly can get in the way when the context you're writing in doesn't call for sophisticated language, and you just end up sounding like a pompous know-it-all, haha.

7 years ago

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coolavender

coolavender

Most of the articles I write for online blogs don't use flowery words at all. They are well-researched and I would hate the information to be buried in excessively ornate expressions. In many cases, flowery and long winding words are used to mask the writer's ignorance of the topic. Flowery words don't work well with online writing. Online readers are known to scan, and not really read articles. Why say something in 100 words if you can express it better in 10 words?

I find this article amusing:

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-38827888

7 years ago

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iamawriter

iamawriter

You brought out a laugh in me. It is not always true that writers that have a flair would camouflage their ignorance by putting in great words. Having said that I was always told to use simple words but simple words could also play a significant part in making content 'flowery'

That link was hilarious (lol)

7 years ago

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Baburra

Baburra

I hate that too and you hit the nail right on the head for me. Sometimes people are too obsessive with sounding smart that their message get buried in the amount and type of words they use. I follow some blogs and video series that do this and while I find them amusing in some sense it prevents me from considering them my favorite because a lot of the time I just end up zoning out while consuming their content.

7 years ago

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iamawriter

iamawriter

While I fully agree with you that the art of precis' writing has become a dying art many sites want long-winded posts for the simple reason the longer the posts longer time would be available for Ads to be noticed.

7 years ago

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treecko142

treecko142

Yeah, it's unnecessary to use flowery words especially when writing well-researched articles or when publishing in big news websites. It looks more professional to be direct to the point but coherent without the use of unnecessary words.

6 years ago

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Judas2018

Judas2018

I think this depends on the author or writers feelings while writing. A particular time in a persons life, or a particular event - can affect how a writer sounds during the course of a piece of writing. The article topic itself can lend influence to this as well. Some article topics are meant to be written with a softer tone than others. I mean, if you're writing about "The beautiful sights to see in Spain," the reader would be confused if the writer came off as angry, harsh or aggressive. While an article about "10 must have video games for pre-teens," might come off as confusing if filled with too many big words, or underused expressions.

7 years ago

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iamawriter

iamawriter

I have a confession to make. Most authors you will see will start chapters in their book with description of the scene before venturing into what they have to say in that story. I always skipped that description and came to the real stuff.

7 years ago

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Judas2018

Judas2018

I think that's a great way to begin a chapter though. A detailed description gives the reader a good idea of what they're about to venture into, and what is about to happen.

7 years ago

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Corzhens

Corzhens

Same here, I seem not to get anything from those long description of the setting including the details like the items on the table were enumerated and later on those items have nothing to do with the story. When I read a book, I always want actions or dialogue where there is substance. That's why I always want to read books with dynamic stories and usually recommended by friends.

7 years ago

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JoeMilford

JoeMilford

Good points here. The language should be having a good marriage with the subject that it is attempting to approach. However, I think we should all use the vocabulary which we are individually comfortable with, regardless of the subject, because our readers will pick up on the fact that we are "showboating" more than we are being true to ourselves and our own language experiences which are unique, beautiful, and personalized (and now listen to me, getting all flowery...lol).

7 years ago

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Judas2018

Judas2018

Granted no one likes a writer whose too 'grandiose' or too much of a showoff. But there are ways to deliver quality writing without tooting your own horn too much. But also letting the reader know that you have a strong grasp of the subject or story at hand.

7 years ago

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Baburra

Baburra

I try to keep my words as simple as possible. Sometimes I have trouble finding a simpler word so I will end up using a deeper one because I don't want to spend too much time on it but if I find it necessary I will just right click and find an alternative synonym which is easy enough these days anyway. I think it's better to keep the articles as concise and easy to read as possible but I'm sure there is an audience out there that prefers it the other way around.

7 years ago

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iamawriter

iamawriter

Being able to write a quality post or article using simple English is not as simple as it looks. It is only those who have a good command over the language are able to do it. Having said that it is the tendency of many to go for idioms and phrases which are ok when it comes to writing literature.

7 years ago

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Kakashi2020

Kakashi2020

I agree on that, keeping it sweet and simple, straight to the point makes your article more readable, but in some subjects like Culinary Arts and Food, it's best to do the longer route to entice the readers more.

7 years ago

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Tronia

Tronia

For me, it completely depends on what sort of content I am writing. If it's more serious articles where the flowery language isn't really suitable then I try my best to avoid it.

I guess I just use whatever language I see as fit and appropriate depending on the actual context of the article that I am writing. Sometimes flowery language fits extremely well.

7 years ago

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mar06

mar06

I am not good as good writer is. I'm just a normal person who can write but I can say that I am able to write articles flowery. I have my great language and I can think fast that's why I can write those flowery words.

7 years ago

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Baburra

Baburra

I guess this is true. There are some types of writing that can benefit a lot from a bit of flowery language now that you've made me think about it. Now that I am more aware I guess I see this type of writing a lot when there is a need to describe something, since when you only use simple words it might not come off as specific as you need it to be or it might get tiring or redundant using the same adjectives all the time so you are pretty much forced to use flowery language.

7 years ago

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iamawriter

iamawriter

One can easily make out if suddenly one inserts a big word or a phrase in a post or article while the rest of the matter does not flow with those so called alien expressions. Using flowery language is a good thing but it must flow naturally.

7 years ago

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ballyhara

ballyhara

Correct, that's the real meaning of flowery, it should comes out naturally, in a proper way that doesn't leave an audience completely confused, or without understanding what's the main point. Unfortunately, people tends to think the opposite, and make it even harder by enhancing the flowery part.

7 years ago

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JoeMilford

JoeMilford

I think that you are both talking about a very important aspect of our content which is context. If you have a certain tone and vocabulary that your readers are accustomed to, and suddenly your language shifts like you are some sort of human thesaurus, it can be very obvious and really throw people off when they are reading your work. Flowery language or "big words" are fine, but if they do not "sound like you", they stick out like a sore thumb. Vocabulary should develop organically and through usage--not through forcing words into your work because you are trying to sound smarter or more informed, if that makes any sense.

7 years ago

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Kakashi2020

Kakashi2020

I have to agree usually novels, poems use that kind of wordings. But if your writing content for business, you can't be that flowery. As an ex-copywriter I would have to admit that I've used flowery script at times and I enjoyed it. Sometimes it makes my content more congenial to its target audience.

6 years ago

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