Have you ever read a book and found yourself immersed in the story and right there alongside the character? If the answer is yes – and I hope it is – then I can almost guarantee the author used strong verbs and action words to lift the story off the page. The difference between active writing and passive writing, or strong writing and weak writing, is the image you conjure up in your reader’s mind. It is your ability to speed up and slow down the pace to pump up the action or slow your narrative down, giving your reader time to breathe.
Using strong verbs and action words applies whether you are writing fiction or non-fiction. It would be easy to think that non-fiction does not require strong verbs as one is merely presenting facts. Consider this; would you rather read dry facts or be immersed in the narrative? I know which I would prefer, and I am sure I can guess what your answer is.
What exactly are strong verbs and action words. The best way to explore this is to look at examples.
Often, we will find ourselves saying our characters walked somewhere. This is somewhat passive it doesn’t really conjure up a powerful image. Try saying strolled, hurried, rushed, all giving a more accurate picture and a greater sense of urgency and action.
Instead of saying ran, which is a good word, you could use an extraordinary word such as bolted or scrammed, darted or sprinted. You will also see how I have elevated good to extraordinary which is more dramatic. To take this further, instead of saying dramatic I could say vivid.
In crime fiction one could be talking about the murderer stabbing the victim. Consider plunged the knife into the victim’s heart. Instead of cut you could consider sliced, slashed or severed, all more powerful verbs.
Another overused verb is looked. Try alternatives such as glared, ogled, scrutinised, contemplated, detected or glimpsed.
I am sure these examples are enough to let you sally forth on the road to making your writing more powerful. When editing it is worth looking out for weak verbs and considering more powerful ones; it will lift your writing from mediocre to astonishing. It will be the difference between your reader carrying on or putting your book down. More power to your pen and may the writing force be with you.