I believe the road to hell is paved with adverbs.

—Stephen King

Self-editing 101: Replace weak verbs with power verbs.

Your writing will never improve unless you have specific, actionable steps. This post focuses on the verb. If the mitochondria is the powerhouse of the cell, then the verb is the powerhouse of the sentence.

Problem #1: Weak verbs

She quickly opened the door and ran in from the rain.

Sure, we get a sense of urgency. It conveys what’s going on. But it’s dull. The problem with this sentence is weak verbs—so generic that you feel the need to dress them up with adverbs—in this case, quickly.

And don’t get me wrong, every single writer uses adverbs. The point isn’t to cut them entirely but to look at them differently. They act as a potential red flag for a weak verb.

In the above sentence the adverb “quickly” is a red flag for the vague verb that comes after. If we rewrite the sentence, focusing on a stronger verb choice, we can create a more vivid picture.

She flung the door wide and dashed in from the rain.

Problem #2: Past Continuous Tense

What do you get when you pair an -ing verb (gerund) with the word was? A sentence that pulls readers from the moment and reads more like a retelling.

Past continuous: was doing.

Past simple: did.

Stick with the simple past tense. This is especially important if you want readers to feel immersed in the story.

He was walking down the road. The wind was blowing through the trees.

This is fine if the story is being told from a narrator in a bar recounting events, but in most cases, simple past tense is your friend.

The above sentence in simple past tense:

He walked down the road. The wind blew through the trees.

It’s more immediate. This pulls the reader into the scene rather than requiring them to picture it at a distance as a passive observer.

But we can do better with more specific verbs. How did he walk? What about the wind? Was it a soft breeze or a strong gust?

He limped down the road. The wind tore through the trees.

He wandered down the road. The wind whistled through the trees.

These are not only stronger verbs, they give more information. Notice how the two sentences complement each other.

The wind in the first example is violent, matching the limp down the road and setting the scene.

The verbs in the second are both more carefree: wandered, whistled.

Similarly, watch the words began and started for the same reasons.

This one isn’t as easy as replacing a single word. It often involves rewriting the whole sentence to be more descriptive.

It began raining.

This sentence is fine if you want gloss over it, but if the rain is amplifying emotion in the scene, you can rewrite it to enhance the mood.

The first raindrop slid down her cheek like a tear; she turned back as a barrage of cold droplets stung her face.

The bottom line—use specific verbs and keep them consistent. What is the mood you’re painting your scene around? Pick one word to describe your scene and build around that.

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Here’ a short list of power verbs:

• Look: Glance, peek, peer, stare, blink up at (someone), eye, glare. (Cut down in general to avoid filtering through the character.)
• Walk: Stride, move (toward or away from something), slide, pace, wander, plod, limp, hobble, pace, stalk
  • Other ways to write: closed the distance in 3 strides, hurried to keep up, lagged behind
• Give: Offer, cede, extend, return
• Run: sprint, rush, hurry, flee, dash, dart, fly, bolt
• Jump: hurdle, leap, plunge, lurch
• Grab: clutch, snatch
• Say: whisper, blurt, shout, warn, murmur (tip: just use he/she said for dialogue tags—they’re invisible.)
• Felt: describe the texture/sensation.
  • The robe felt soft and luxurious in her hand. vs. The robe slipped through her fingers like fine silk.
• See/hear: Just tell us what they see or hear to cut down on filtering.
  • She saw a black cat run by. vs. A black cat darted past.
  • He heard a sound. vs. A low groan reverberated through the house.
• Stand (up): Rise, scramble to his/her feet, force (oneself/someone else) to their feet
• Sit (Down): plop (down/onto), settle, take a seat, squat
  • Other ideas: hover on the edge of a seat

Thanks for reading!

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Janine Eaby is the author of Beyond the Water’s Edge—a Young adult fantasy book series influenced by her faith, love of nature, and desire for adventure. Ideal for fans of portal fantasies to other worlds like The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe.

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