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I'm an unrepentant panster. Just ask my CP, Sherry Jones. I can't tell you how many times my panster tendencies have caused her to hang her head in sorrow, exasperation, mock shock or to hide her laughter. I ask you, is it nice of my CP to laugh at me? Huh? Huh? Nevermind that I've laughed in the face of her difficulties, too, but that's different. Right?
But just because I'm a panster doesn't mean I'm oblivious to my writing process. Just because I don't chart, graph, whiteboard, outline---yanno---PLAN, doesn't mean that I'm not just as exacting about my work as those known as "plotters." I make it a point to pick something I feel I need to improve upon with each and every story I write. It's a fine tuning process, honing my writing. Rather like continuing education.
A few years ago, I set about to obliterate the verb "to be" in all its conjugations from my writing, except when I just couldn't get around it. "Was" and "Were" do happen sometimes, but man-oh-man---there's a wealth of other verbs out there to chose from. Better verbs. Verbs With Verve. Vivid. I consider myself an artist, my colors are the words I chose, therefore, I should strive to use only the best, brightest and most evocative words I can.
Here are a few of my favorite verb lists. Yes, I keep verb lists handy. Scary, huh? ;)
High School Vivid Verb List
The Vivid Verbs List of All Time
Deanna Carlyle’s 1000 Verbs to Write By
Off to paint more word pictures. Have a great weekend!
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