If you’ve been here a while, you’ll know I keep a spreadsheet where I squirrel away my favorite lines of prose like a compulsive hoarder. After months of collecting, one element of prose has risen far above the rest: verb choice. 

If good writing was a group project, verbs would be that one student who takes initiative, gets everyone together, and keeps things on track. They do the heavy lifting while adjectives and adverbs are off in a corner goofing around. Those two may not be the most productive, but they add to the vibes, so we (mostly) like having them around. As for nouns, conjunctions, prepositions, etc., they know their roles and will get down to business. 

A strong verb sits high on the pyramid of abstraction. Its interpretation is narrow and conjures up the most crisp mental image. Whereas a weak verb feels imprecise—it calls to mind a broad categorical idea. Contrast He ran with He fled. Two sentences, two words each. The second one is instantly more captivating.

The same principle applies to nouns (dog vs Corgi) and adjectives (blue vs teal)! Evocative detail is the soul of creative writing. So next time you’re drafting or revising, aim for specificity and see how it elevates your prose.

— Jamie

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