Use Your Verbs Wisely
We've all heard to avoid passive writing. To pick strong verbs. Vibrant verbs.
After a while, active writing becomes easier. Because of this, I sometimes grow lazier. I forget to choose my verbs wisely. Sometimes I forget they're good for more than just strong writing. They're needed to set the mood of a scene. The right verb can pull the emotion off a page and fling it into the reader's heart.
I'm reading fellow blogger Patti Lacy's An Irishwoman's Tale right now. Her writing inspired this post. Especially one particular sentence.
Pg 24 Something like a smile flirted with her lips.
Flirted.
What an awesome image! I probably would've wrote edged or turned up, but do you see how the word flirted creates an immediate feeling? It more than shows.
It evokes.
Do you fall into the trap of using the same verbs over and over? Do you ever forget to try your best because something is easy for you? Which authors do you feel use language in fresh and exciting ways?
After a while, active writing becomes easier. Because of this, I sometimes grow lazier. I forget to choose my verbs wisely. Sometimes I forget they're good for more than just strong writing. They're needed to set the mood of a scene. The right verb can pull the emotion off a page and fling it into the reader's heart.
I'm reading fellow blogger Patti Lacy's An Irishwoman's Tale right now. Her writing inspired this post. Especially one particular sentence.
Pg 24 Something like a smile flirted with her lips.
Flirted.
What an awesome image! I probably would've wrote edged or turned up, but do you see how the word flirted creates an immediate feeling? It more than shows.
It evokes.
Do you fall into the trap of using the same verbs over and over? Do you ever forget to try your best because something is easy for you? Which authors do you feel use language in fresh and exciting ways?
Comments
Flirted is the PERFECT way to show me in my head what is going on. And isn't it hard to pick THAT special verb? It takes me some time to decide on just the right one.
*note to self, call bookstore today* :-)
I wake up excited thinking about how to do this.
Great post.
~ Wendy
Strong verbs can do a lot to dress up our writing- and I love dressing up!
Wendy, I really, really want to read that book!
Hey Jody, that's what I'm trying to do. It's so easy to be armed with an arsenal of verbs and forget to consider all the other ones.
LOL Donna! I do the same thing. :-)
Sarah, that's tough, right? Maybe you do need to tone down the verbs, or maybe the crit partners are used to a more passive voice so it didn't sound like you to them. Either way, I hope you find the right balance. I completely agree that our verbs should add to the writing, not detract from it.
Hi Robyn, it IS hard to find that perfect verb. I'm not sure I could've come up with flirt, but what a beautiful way to show the smile! I'm looking forward to reading more of Patti's work. :-)
I can't come up with an author off the top of my head that uses awesome verbs, but I'm getting a few good names off your other comments. Thanks, guys.
Thanks and blessings,
Karen :)
Hey Diane, me too. LOL Flirting is always fun, I've heard.
Linda, it is easy to slip into was. I think using verbs comes more naturally to me now, but that doesn't mean I don't still find stuff to change.
LOL T. Anne. Exactly. Thank goodness for editing! Now if I could only convince the editor on my shoulder to take some time off during rough draft stage...
Great example!
Patti, I agree. Very creative because the verb is not an actual action of the lips, and yet, it gives us an action image. Very cool!
Those in-house editors are great for slashing out what they feel are forced words.
Sigh. But the words that cleave to one reader's mouth and soul and heart are spit out by the next.
And so on and scooby dooby do. Holy Spirit, help me get it right...for You!!!
Blessings,
Patti
www.pattilacy.com/blog
And I'm glad you liked my book cover! I worked really hard with my designer to create one that touched on specific elements from the book. I'm afraid I rejected her first three designs. I felt so bad. :P
I loved that FLIRTED. That was awesome.
Thanks for this!
I tend to think in concrete terms. There's no way I would have used the word, "flirted," there. Amazing word choice.
Blessings,
Susan :)
One of my fave authors for using imagery is Alice Hoffman. Here's an example: Wishes are brutal unforgiving things, they burn your tongue the moment they're spoken and you can never take them back. They bruise and bake and come back to haunt you.
This is from her book: The Ice Queen, taken from the first paragraph of chapter one. She STARTS the book this way! Wow!
Talk about evoking!
Anyway, thanks for the inspiring post, Jessie.
I'd say.. "She smiled."
LOL.
Flirted is SO SO much better!
Hi Patti, I warned you Monday in the comments that I'd be posting about you! LOL I'm enjoying the story. Well-done! :-) (and no, no "other" sentences to be found, heehee!)
LOL Elana. You'll find something. How about spit? Licked? :-)
Emily, I love what you said about verbs being as descriptive as an adjective. Very true!
You're welcome Janna. :-)
Oh Susan, you cracked me up when you said that about the dictionary!!! Also, concreteness. Yes. That's me too. Maybe why her usage of flirted is so brilliant, because it's abstract and refers to something we feel rather something that is visual.
Cindy, I hope we both get it down. I'm much more concrete so this is a great lesson for me. :-)
Anita, gosh, I've only read two of Hoffman's books, and it was when I was in high school, but even then I noticed and loved her writing. I need to pick one up again. Thanks for sharing that. Beautiful!
LOL Krista! :-) You know though, Lacy wrote plenty of she smiled. That's okay to do. But sometimes you just have to switch it up, right? Hehee. I bet you have some great sentences in your manuscripts. :-)
You have to let the mean editor who's in a bad mood (sitting on your shoulder) come out with her red pen. She's especially ruthless at times and that's a good thing!
But when the right word comes along --that's the joy of writing for me.
A fun post, Jessica!
Hey Kate, I love the word evoke.
:-)
LOL Angie. Delicious is right!
Debra, circling them is a great idea! The right word, the right scene, it all is wonderful. :-)
One of my favorites is to use a noun and turn it into a verb: Jessica "cannoned" into Paul; I "tornadoed" through the house, cleaning and scrubbing.
Excellent post!
I like to do that too! The only annoying thing is that Word sometimes puts the squigglies under my new verb. *grin*
Kara, I think it makes a difference too.
Dara, if that's the biggest hurdle, then don't worry! It's so much easier to change passive to active, than to try to make a boring character interesting, or worse, a boring plot! :-) You'll be fine. That's what editing and crit partners are for!
Hey Warren,
Thanks for the examples! I've never heard of those authors. Yeah, I'd imagine with non-fiction verbiage would be just as important. Speaking of which, I need to start reading some of your devotions! I have the book, just have to pull it out. :-)