Style: Noir

Noir is a literary style characterized by cynicism, fatalism, and moral ambiguity.

It often features hardboiled crime fiction with gritty, disillusioned antiheroes and femme fatales in a bleak, urban setting.

Why a writer would use it

A writer might employ noir elements to create a dark, atmospheric tone that explores the darker aspects of human nature and society. It can add depth, suspense and intrigue to a story.

Use-case

In a detective novel, the protagonist is a jaded private eye investigating a murder in a corrupt city.

The narrative voice uses noir style to convey the harsh realities of the underworld and the detective's own internal conflicts.

A couple more examples:

1. Film noir

Movies from the 1940s and 50s with low-key lighting, morally grey characters, and themes of crime, paranoia and alienation.

2. Neo-noir

Modern works in film, literature, etc. that pay homage to classic noir while updating it with contemporary settings and sensibilities.

Effect on AI prompts

Using noir elements in an AI prompt can steer the generated content towards darker, grittier tones with morally ambiguous characters and bleak urban atmospheres.

It may produce more cynical, hardboiled language and fatalistic themes compared to more optimistic or idealistic prompts.