Verbs, especially in flash fiction when words are at a premium, lend writing both power and color. When I write, I keep a little cheat sheet of muscular verbs nearby.
Some examples:
strain
wrestle
mutter
fling
tumble
flounder
thrash
hurl
chuckle
snap
plunge
lunge
stagger
Some of these words carry extra meaning and imagery. Snap isn't just a verb, but a sound as well--the proverbial two birds with one stone. My cheat sheet acts as a personal passcode into more vivid language, and it expands each time a new verb weasels its way into a story. I steal vivid verbs everywhere, keeping a notebook handy while reading another author's work.
Next up: kill the tags
Getting Real About Me (and Anxiety)
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I've always tried to be honest. I've written this blog with honesty over
the years. It started as an exercise for a fledgling writer, and now it
remains lo...
6 years ago
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