![]() ![]() She starts if she hears a sound, pales if you ask her questions, spins and vanishes if you disturb her dress. The Muse, then, is the most terrified of all the virgins. ![]() Over the weekend, I read Ray Bradbury’s “Zen in the Art of Writing.” I enjoyed his word choice, and I loved how his verbs breathe life into abstract concepts, like storytelling and the Muse.įor instance, he describes how he started writing stories based on lists of nouns:Īnd the stories began to burst, to explode from those memories, hidden in the nouns, lost in the lists. You can’t picture “provide feedback,” but you can visualize “shouting,” “lecturing,” and “scribbling.” Examples: How strong verbs breathe life into abstract ideas Examples of weak verbs are “to be,” “to provide,” “to add,” and “to utilize.” You can’t picture these words.įor instance, if someone provides feedback, is he shouting his comments? Or lecturing you with a smug face? Or perhaps scribbling a few suggestions in the margin of your handout? In contrast, weak verbs are abstract and generic-they don’t help you visualize a scene. ![]() He cradles the baby, strokes her dark hair, tickles her chin, and hums a lullaby.
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June 2023
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