Style: Hardboiled

Hardboiled refers to a gritty, unsentimental style of writing characterized by terse, direct language, cynical characters, and dark, often violent themes. It's most commonly associated with crime fiction and detective novels.

Why a writer would use it

A writer might employ a hardboiled style to create a sense of realism, convey the harsh realities of life, and explore the darker aspects of human nature.

It can also help establish a tough, no-nonsense tone that suits certain genres and storylines.

Use-case

In a crime novel, a hardboiled writing style can be used to depict the grim, unforgiving world of a detective who must navigate through a web of deceit and danger to solve a case.

A couple more examples:

1. "The streets were dark with something more than night." - Raymond Chandler, The Simple Art of Murder

This line exemplifies the dark, ominous atmosphere often found in hardboiled fiction.

2. "I don't want to be a product of my environment. I want my environment to be a product of me." - Frank Costello (Jack Nicholson), The Departed

This quote from the film demonstrates the tough, assertive attitude typical of hardboiled characters.

Effect on AI prompts

When applied to AI-generated content, using hardboiled language in prompts can lead to outputs that are more direct, cynical, and focused on the grittier aspects of a story or topic.

The generated text may include more vivid descriptions of violence, corruption, and moral ambiguity, and feature characters who are jaded, world-weary, and driven by self-interest.