To Be or Not to Be, That is the Question….
By Beth Ann Erickson, FilbertPublishing.com
In the French language, the
verb “Etre” means “To Be.”
In English, we just say “is.”
He is. She is. He was. She was. He
will be. She will be. It will be.
Sounds fine, huh?
Well, not really.
We’re writers. And we’re better than that. Anything that “is” can be
described better. For example, how can we write, “The car is hot,” better?
How’s this… “The interior of the Chevy burned like a furnace.”
No “etre” in that sentence. The verb, “felt” is stronger than “is.”
Here’s another one… “That dog is loud.”
How would you change it? Here’s an idea, “The Rotweiler’s wail pierced the subway terminal
like a bullet from a .22 pistol.”
See how the verb “pierced” gives you a far more vivid picture than the verb “is?”
Look at something you’ve written. Find any “etres?” If you do, see if you
can rearrange the sentence to include a stronger verb.
Now start writing. Describe what you’re seeing and feeling at this moment.
Avoid any “etre” verbs whenever you can.
Beth Ann Erickson is Queen Bee of Filbert Publishing and the only writing ezine that'll make your writing
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