For writers looking to hone their skill, a good place to start is to work on livening up your words. Keep your reader interested even in subjects that would ordinarily seem dull. Here are a few tips on how you can accomplish this by keeping just a few things in mind as you edit your stories, essays and letters:
1.) Avoid plain vanilla verbs like “walk.” Words like this are functional, but they are also flat and uninteresting. They put your writing to sleep. Wake it up with vibrant, exciting verbs. For example, instead of “walk” say “pace with ravishing strides.”
WRONG: Little Joey walked to school in the morning.
RIGHT: Little Joey paced with ravishing strides to school in the morning.
2.) Add “local color” to your writing by having your characters speak in regional dialects appropriate to their setting. You will win your reader’s confidence when you show your commanding knowledge of your subject and intimate familiarity with the locations of which you write.
WRONG: “Hello. My name is Steven, and I’ve lived in Los Angeles all my life. I know every inch of this town from Sylmar to San Pedro and from West Hills to Highland Park. Would you like to go see a Lakers game with me?”
RIGHT: “Herlloob! Myr nerm uz Storvern, urnd Or’ve larved ern Lorz Oranger-lurz ull myr larf! Ohr kneur orvey ornch orv therz towrn ferm Surlmerb ter Sorn Porgy urnd ferm Wersht Hurlz ter Hurlyburly Pork! Walerd yur lark ter gew seer ur Lorkey’s garm wardge mehr?! Hurzzah!
3.) Avoid passive voice sentences. Always use the active voice. Passive voice bores your reader by making him feel as though nothing interesting is happening in the passage. “Spice up” any passive sentences with active grizzly bear attacks.
WRONG: An important lesson was learned that day.
RIGHT: An important lesson was learned that day when the foolish people got attacked and eaten by grizzly bears.
5 comments:
This sentence is enlivened by grizzly bear attacks
Vear vas dis eloquent bloviation uove de visdom und cognition dat ees apaarunt un yur ourds ven eye vass viting mine novell? Dass ish Dine Munkie POOP!
Your obvious command of the Los Angeles accecnt comes through so clearly in that passage. I was able to read it quite easily, because it's exactly how my relatives from Nor Yalk tawk.
I like that first point. Let me try.
"I am manfully distributing commentary to your blog."
Wow! GREASY SWEET!!
I will write like this for the rest of my life the day that I was attacked and eaten by grizzler bears!
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