More than minimal details but less than that which causes Purple Prose. /totallyunhelpfulinalllikelihood
Hmm...
First, check if you have the desirable pacing. If you want fast pacing, try swapping passive verbs for stronger ones. If you can get it slower, see where you can show more of the scene to convey more useful information. Also, play with sentence structure to break up the monotony.
Yeah, just spice it up with stronger, action making verbs.
Pretty boring, eh? Lets add some action to this sequence.
My point is, you have to meet at a median point between simplicity and descriptiveness. Really let the reader feel the scene, but don't drown him in it.
edited 1st May '12 8:11:28 PM by NickTheSwing
Drummer Boy
Depending on the context, this may or may not be a textbook case that people whip out when they tell you to "show don't tell." You could probably milk an entire scene from this.
Speaking of "show don't tell"... that's how I got rid of my beige prose problem. Maybe it'll work for you, maybe it won't.
Something many people will tell you to try is to go full-out describing something, and then to look it over and try to condense it into one or two sentences.
edited 1st May '12 9:22:12 PM by SnowyFoxes
The last battle's curtains will open on stage!
Apparition in the Woods
The last sentence of Snowy's post sums it up quite well.
I'll hide your name inside a word and paint your eyes with false perception.
To be honest, I'm not sure if I do, depending on how one defines Beige Prose.
Bully in the Alley
Add more dialogue- everyone knows the characters in fanfic, so dialogue often neatly sidesteps the issue
"The only way to truly waste an idea is to shove it where it doesn't belong."
The Electric Eccentric
Think about what you want to say, and then convey it to the reader.
Let's say you want to describe a tree. You could just say "There was a tree" but that would be the beigest of beige prose. Think carefully about what else you can say about the tree to make it come alive. How big is the tree? How many leaves are on the tree? Where is the tree? What's the tree doing (swaying, shaking, dropping leaves or acorns)?
If you can make your writing — an item, a scene, an event — come alive by way of simple yet effective descriptions, you might be able to overcome beige prose. So basically, appeal to a few of the senses, then move on.
Hope that helps you out.
My Wattpad — A haven for delightful degeneracy
I decided to write a fanfic for fun, and I can't seem to shake Beige Prose. I keep rewriting it and adding more padding to provide more, but I'm still afraid to publish. How do I know when I've averted it? How do I know I have enough?