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3 Sure-Fire Tricks To Improve Your Writing by Juan Bell
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3 Sure-Fire Tricks To Improve Your Writing |
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Education
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1. Use more expressive verbs than had, have, went and did For instance: I had an ice cream cone. Devoured, savored, treated myself to I went to the store. I drove, I biked, I hightailed it, I hurried to, I zoomed over to, I dashed into, I moseyed my way on over to... (Notice that lackadaisical words like "mosey" or "saunter" may use more words while the verbs indicating quickness get on with it concisely.) 2. Use active phrasing Instead of: The discussion was started by me... I set the discussion in motion I threw out the first question, launching the debate. I volleyed back and forth with the other panel members I cast, hurled, tossed out comments, took the plunge, instigated, embarked, got down to it. Eliminate "had had" if at all possible by substituting another verb. "Had had" is the "past perfect tense," meaning all of the actions are in the past. As I read the following sentence, I get a sense of heaviness. It's also more difficult to read and comprehend. She had had a bad time when she was in the clink, and had sworn off small agoraphobic spaces entirely. She had endured bad times in the clink, swearing off small agoraphobic spaces entirely. He had had one too many, and couldn't have stomached another drink last night. He had consumed / slung back / knocked down / one too many, and couldn't have tolerated/ belted back another drink last night. When the action is in the present, this is known as the "present perfect." I have had one too many tonight. (Where "tonight" is now, in the present rather than last night, therefore no need for "had had.") Another way to avoid "had had" is to rewrite the sentence using a contraction: She'd had a bad time in the clink, avoiding small agoraphobic spaces ever since. I recently edited someone's story, filled with "had hads," and the first thing I did was cross out all extra "hads" that were putting a drag on the piece. Most of the time you can do this easily, and going for short and sweet helps: She had a bad time in the clink, so small spaces were out of the question for her. 3. Do a quick check so you aren't repeating the same word in quick succession Often when I am proofreading my own writing or that of others, I find the same word repeated in two succeeding sentences and sometimes several times in one paragraph. I'll also find this in novels and nonfiction published by major publishers. A good editor should catch this. If you can find a synonym that works, substitute that word, if it sounds too awkward or formal, try to rewrite the sentence so the same word is not repeated. She raised the most money of anyone there and wanted everyone to know it. Because of the amount she raised, the school could now be built. She raised the most money of anyone there and wanted everyone to know it. Because of the amount she'd accumulated / collected / received/ donated, the school could now be built. The tips render your writing more enjoyable for your readers, and for you as well, as you write. resume
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