I attended a workshop dedicated to crafting sentences. We began with a discussion of sentence forms—simple, complex, compound, and complex-compound. Most instructors I’ve heard in the last ten years have focused on the simple sentence as the best solution to all writing problems. This class was led by a woman who rejected the idea of limiting yourself to one form and encouraged us to rediscover the participial phrase.
Yes, she gave us permission to use “ing” words again.
I’ve always been of the opinion that tossing entire parts of speech into the dust bin of history is as sensible as throwing out half of your paintbox because those colors aren’t fashionable. Although I recognize the improvement in my craft that came from focusing on strong verbs and taut sentence structure, I still believe there is room on the page for lyrical writing. Adverbs, adjectives, and participial phrases can make a sentence sing—just as a touch of orange or lime green can breathe life into an otherwise ordinary painting.