When we're writing a first draft, the goal is to get the story onto paper. Sometimes this means crafting the "skeleton" of a scene. After all, if we focus too much on sentence structure and word choice in a first attempt, we might paralyze ourselves into a corner.
No one writes a perfect book on the first go-round.
At some point during the revision process, though, we need to look at every sentence--every word--to make sure it's as descriptive as possible.
Is there a better way to phrase this?
Is there a more descriptive word I can use?
The tendency for beginning writers is to pair adverbs with verbs to strengthen them (i.e. he walked slowly). But why not use a stronger word? "Ambled" might work better here, or "meandered" or "drifted." Each of these words paints a different picture of the person doing the walking and the deeper meaning behind it.
And not only should we incorporate strong verbs and nouns into our writing (avoiding adverbs as much as we can), but we should also make our descriptions as specific as possible.
It's not just a swing, but a tire swing, fastened to a tree with rope that's dry-rotted from years in the sun and rain. And not just any tree, but a pear tree planted by the couple who built the house more than a hundred years before.
The stronger the details, the more likely you'll keep the reader's attention.
And to ensure those readers aren't going to become lost in extended, flowery prose, keep Strunk and White's advice in mind:
precision, with concision
Meaning: be as specific as possible using the fewest words necessary to tell the story.
And always . . .
Be Brilliant!
~Katie~
