Valerie Howard - Strong Verbs for Fiction Writers

1,000 Strong Verbsfor Fiction WritersValerie Howard Copyright 2019 by Valerie Howard 1,000 Strong Verbs for Fiction Writers By Valerie Howard All rights reserved solely by the author. The author guarantees all contents are original and do not infringe upon the legal rights of any other person or work. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without the permission of the author. Cover fonts: Trajanus Bricks and Morsal Cover image of pencil from Pixabay.com Cover image of chain from 123rf.com ContentsIntroduction ARE YOU searching for stronger verbs for your works of fiction? Aren't we all? A weak verb is one that's overused, only conveys a shallow meaning, and doesn't bring a powerful image to the mind's eye. The problem is, the weak verbs are usually the ones that pop into our minds first. A strong verb, on the other hand, is a verb that performs three functions: 1.

It names the action. 2. It tells how the action is performed. 3. It brings up an instant mental image. Sally walked across the room. Meh. Sally walked across the room. Meh.

Sometimes we add adverbs to prop up the verb and kind of help it along. This is a key indication that something is amiss: Sally walked hurriedly across the room. More descriptive, but a bit cumbersome. Let's use a strong verb in place of walked hurriedly. Sally scurried across the room. See the difference? Feel the difference? In the first example, we understand that Sally got from one side of the room to the other, but that's all. We have no hint about Sally's emotional state as she walked. In the second example, we understand she walked in a hurried way, but it was a bit too explanatory and awkward.

In the last example, scurried indicates a frantic hurry, and perhaps a little timidity with a mouse-like quality. We have a better picture of what's happening in the scene by changing one word in the sentence. Here are a few more examples: Weak: Harry lightly touched the edge of the book. Stronger: Harry trailed his fingers along the edge of the book. Weak: Karen ran as quickly as she could to her closet. Stronger: Karen charged her closet in a panic.

Weak: Lucy hit her palm on the desk. Stronger: Lucy smacked her palm on the desk. Ready to weed out the weak verbs and not-so-helpful adverbs in your writing and replace them with strong verbs? Okay, then, let's go! Ask Gently Question Request Urgently Beg Implore Forcefully Cross-examine Grill Interrogate Pump Quiz Attack With Surprise Ambush Blitz Bombard To do Harm Assail Assault To Take Over Besiege Invade Hurriedly Charge Rush Storm Bend Slightly Angle Arc Arch Buckle Coil Crook Curl Curve Flex Warp Down Bow Crouch Curtsy Hunch Kneel Stoop Bite Daintily Nibble Continually Chew Gnash Gnaw Munch Forcefully Chomp Crunch Quickly Nip Bother Slightly Annoy Bug Irk Irritate Miff Nettle Moderately Aggravate Chafe Harass Peeve Perturb Pester Rile Ruffle Severely Exasperate Madden Plague Vex Break In Tiny Pieces Crumble Crush Granulate Grind Mash Powder Shatter Smash In Large Pieces Crack Fracture Fragment Snap Splinter Beyond Repair Atomize Cripple Disintegrate Mangle Pulverize Ruin Spoil Wreck Explosively Burst Bust Obliterate Pop Rupture Pieces Off Chip Flake Peel Scale Shed Down Flatten Level Illegally Deface Vandalize Breathe With Difficulty Gasp Heave Rasp Suck Wheeze In Annoyance Huff Sniff Snort In Short Burst Blow Puff Obstructed Asphyxiate Choke Smother Suffocate Carry A Heavy Load Heft Lug Schlep Behind Drag Haul A Distance Tow Trawl In Something Cart Tote Change Slightly Adjust Alter Amend Deviate Diverge Tweak Largely Reshape Transform For the Better Modify Refine Revise Specifically Customize Tailor Close Quickly Slam To Keep In/Out Bar Bolt Fasten Lock Seal Secure Shutter Confuse Mildly Muddle Puzzle Moderately Jumble Perplex Stump Severely Baffle Bewilder Confound Mystify Purposefully Bamboozle Dupe Hoodwink Snooker Cover Partially Mask Screen Shield Shroud Veil Completely Cloak Conceal Eclipse Cry Immaturely Mope Pout Sulk Softly Choke up Fuss Sniffle Snivel Whimper Whine Loudly Bawl Blubber Boo-hoo Break down Lament Moan Sob Squall Wail Weep Gut-Wrenching Bemoan Bewail Grieve Mourn Pine for Cut Slightly Clip Incise Lacerate Nick Scour Slit Snip Trim Into pieces Chop Dice Divide Halve Mince Quarter Shred Slice Split Down to size Crop Mow Pare down Prune Shave Shear Violently Carve Cleave Gash Hack Lop Sever Slash Dig Up Exhume Mine Unearth Down Burrow Delve Drill Tunnel Out Disembowel Dredge Gouge Gut Hollow out Scoop Through Hoe Sift Till Draw Back In Surprise Flinch Recoil In Fear Cower Cringe Shrink In Pain Wince Drink Daintily Sip Noisily Slurp Greedily Drain Guzzle Knock back Swill Eat Greedily Chow down Cram Gobble Gorge Gulp Nosh Polish off Wolf A Large Amount Feast Overindulge A Small Amount Munch Nibble Snack Taste At a Table Dine Lunch Sup Hesitantly Choke down Peck at Pick at Embrace In Fabric Bundle Swaddle Swathe Wrap All the Way Around Confine Encircle Encompass Envelop Hem in Ring Lovingly Cuddle Nestle Snuggle Fall Off a High Place Cascade Descend Plummet Plunge Over Overturn Unseat Down Belly-flop Drop Flop Keel Swoon Accidentally Pitch Topple Totter Tumble Fight Verbally Argue Bicker Clash Nit-pick Quarrel Quibble Squabble Physically Brawl Grapple Scuffle Skirmish Struggle Tussle Wrangle Wrestle Fill Overly Choke Clog Congest Crowd An Object Load Pack Forcefully Cram Stuff Fix Doctor Mend Patch Remedy Repair Restore Fly Easily Glide Soar Float Wing In One Place Hover Levitate Quickly Jet Swoop Nosedive Give Grudgingly Fork over Shell out To Many People Dispense Charitably Bestow Contribute Donate Provide Officially Award Deliver Present Give Up Willingly Acquiesce Cave Comply Defer Submit Yield In Defeat Relent Relinquish Resign Surrender Hang On Something Affix Drape Pin In Midair Dangle Suspend Hit Accidentally Bump Collide Crash With a Sting Cuff Slap Smack Spank Weakly Bat Bop Rap Swat Tag With Intention to Damage Belt Bludgeon Clobber Clout Pulverize Punch Ram Sideswipe Slam Slug Smite Sock Strike Tan Thump Uppercut Wallop Continually Buffet Pound Pummel Whale on With Object Cane Flog Lash Paddle Scourge Switch Whip Hurt Continually Torment Torture Mildly Mistreat Moderately Afflict Bruise Punish Throttle Severely Crucify Persecute Strangle Permanently Corrupt Damage Destroy Poison Jump A Long Distance Bound Leap A Short Distance Hop Skip Suddenly Flinch Quail Spring Start Over Something Clear Hurdle Surmount Vault Toward Something Lunge On Something Pounce Laugh Quietly Chuckle Titter Loudly Bellow Chortle Guffaw Hoot Howl Roar Whoop Daintily Giggle Tee-hee Scornfully Cackle Crow Jeer Mock Snicker Snigger Taunt Lie Mildly Distort Fabricate Fib Fudge Moderately Deceive Falsify Misrepresent Severely Con Perjure Lift With Effort Heave Hoist Jack up Easily Boost Elevate Hike up Raise Look Quickly Glance Glimpse Scan Skim Spot Subtly Peek Peer Scout Spy Obviously Gape Gawk Ogle Stare Watch Continually Admire Appraise Behold Focus Gaze Observe Peruse Pore over Regard Study View Curiously Examine Explore Eyeball Gander Inspect Rubberneck Scrutinize Snoop Squint Survey