User blog comment:DJ Spenstar/No Boundaries Preview!/@comment-1874924-20100620020502

Actually, Spenny, I have no objection at all to linking to character pages in competition stories; I just think that shouldn't be the only reader aid on offer. I think it's entirely appropriate to have some kind of description when a Pokemon type is introduced; but these descriptions can be brief, focusing on major traits.

Your opening paragraph, wherein you describe the Salamence as a "mighty dragon", is actually an excellent example. The description is concise, so you don't get bogged down in detail, but tells the casual reader everything he needs to know. If he wants more detail, there's always the link.

Some situations will call for more detailed descriptions. For example, when Spenny catches his first Pokemon, he is likely to admire it at some length; to reflect that admiration, a detailed, perhaps even borderline-purple, description would be appropriate.

As I have noted in the Workshops, highly-detailed description does not in itself constitute "purple prose". To be considered "purple", the description must also use flowery synonyms or metaphors.

I may have more thoughts on this preview later; but for now, I'm heading out to dinner with the missus.