Do "Orbs" Mean Good Writing?

In college, I knew another aspiring novelist with one manuscript under their belt and several more under production. Though their first manuscript was "done" in the sense it had a beginning, middle, and end, they wanted to fine tune it in preparation for finding an agent. I, as another aspiring writer, was recruited to read and reread it and give my thoughts.

In retrospect, the manuscript was very much the work of someone with more enthusiasm than experience. There were many elements of "this is cool, so I'll throw it in," whether or not it made sense, strengthened the narrative, or just added length and nothing else.

At the time, I was struck most by word choice. Even after we met a character, learned their name and personality, they were often tagged with "the black haired youth," or "the red haired maiden." "Orbs" were a common stand in for eyes. They took ten words to describe three word actions.

I sent them articles about word choice and purple prose. They were too disgusted to read them. I gave feedback that were either ignored or challenged. For months, this person insisted on my attention and critiques, despite not caring what I had to say.

From what I can tell, this author was both insecure and convinced of their skill. They were certain more words equaled better prose, and flowery synonyms were a mark of quality. They did not like my honest thoughts, but wanted praise and encouragement. At the time, I wasn't savvy enough to understand this subtext.

I lost touch with this person after a couple of years. I'm sure if they're still writing. If they are, I hope they've improved over time.