scrise

Scrise is a stylistic concept used to describe a form of writing that blends aspects of screenplay formatting with prose narrative. Characterized by a focus on clarity, pace, and visual readability, scrise aims to convey action and information efficiently, often at the expense of ornate prose. The term is used primarily in experimental fiction, interactive storytelling, and game-writing communities, where writers seek a brisk, inventory-like texture to texts.

The word scrise is a coined term, combining scrib- from Latin scribere (to write) with the English suffix -ise to denote a process or practice. It also echoes 'scribe' and 'script' to imply recording and visual structure.

Common features include short, declarative sentences; direct diction; frequent sentence-level breaks and paragraph fragmentation; parallelism; a tendency to present information in discrete units; occasional block-like dialogue lines or stage directions embedded in prose.

Dialogic scrise emphasizes dialogue and micro-scene blocks; procedural scrise emphasizes steps and actions in sequence, with step numbers or cues, and may integrate rules or constraints that guide the narrative flow.

The approach is not widely standardized or formally recognized in writing pedagogy. It remains predominantly an experimental practice used in indie fiction, game writing, and online communities. Proponents say it improves immediacy and navigability, while critics argue it can hinder lyrical nuance.