Anemic Verbs

Some verbs should be buried. Some are so common they have lost value. Mundane words signify a mundane writer. Give your writing a transfusion with power verbs.

The verb to be is worn out, passive, and should be eliminated whenever possible. Excessive use screams first draft! It isn’t easy, but a skilled writer finds a way around them. Write with strength, find better choices!

Verb – to be:

am	isn’t
are	it was
aren’t	to be
be	were
being

Writing Craft: No-No Words

Some words wave a red flag that screams NOVICE!  I know it’s impossible to not use them, but limit their use whenever possible.  Some are pretentious, and some are simply worn out. 

Over the years, I compiled this list to help tighten my writing.  Don’t worry about them in your first draft, but when you go back for editing, look for them.  Use your FIND function to highlight them. Then reread your document and try to restructure your sentences to eliminate them.

Many programs are different, especially on the newer programs, but I use Office 2003.  Go to EDIT / FIND. Then type in the word you want to find.  Hit enter and it will go to the first time that word is used.  Highlight the word and click the box to go to the next one.

You may find you use these words far too often. 

Writing Craft - Show Don't Tell

One of the hallmarks of skilled writing is the ability to draw the reader into the world you’ve created.

The reader wants to have sympathy for your character. He wants to feel what your character feels and experience what the character experiences. One of the primary reasons for recreational reading is to escape from reality and be somewhere else.

If your story doesn’t draw the reader in quickly, he will lose interest. Your story must pop with experiences that use the senses. Immerse your reader in sensory experiences. He must be able to touch, taste, smell, hear, and see the world you’ve created. Your job is to find words that convey those messages.