Prologue
Congratulations on taking your first step into understanding how to use your mind and imagination to
craft unforgettable writing. Though the path may seem intimidating and filled with obstacles at this
stage, this book is designed to help you identify, practice and refine individual strengths and weaknesses as a writer. Look back at your work often to see how you have evolved from being a writer who uses
words to scrape by to one who uses language in ways that move masses to follow your ideas.
As you read this book, relax your mind, knowing any and all tidbits of information you absorb are going
to make you a better writer, and by default, a sharper thinker and communicator. If you struggle with a
concept, that’s okay. The next tip may change your way of thinking forever, so soak that one in, and don’t
let any confusion frustrate you. There are thousands of tips in these books. Stealing just a handful is a
win, any way you look at it, if it makes you a better writer, thinker and communicator.
An important way to use this book is to focus on how you are thinking while you work through each
exercise. Each chapter teaches fundamentals to writing that may seem common sense on the surface,
but nevertheless take practice and precise concentration to perfect.
So for every exercise in the book, picture yourself as an infielder at practice learning the fundamentals
of baseball or softball. Each writing exercise is a coach tapping you a hundred ground balls so you can
master the form and motion of scooping the ball and tossing it to first base for the out. Come game day
(when it’s time to write essays, college applications or letters), you’ll naturally perform better, because
of the practice.
Equally as important: keep a positive attitude as you work through these necessary fundamentals. And
never forget, when you field those ground balls, focus on how you are thinking in that moment,
then always try to refocus your mind to think that way every time you write. Different parts of your
brain will light up during different activities, proving that great writing demands you become a dynamic
and disciplined thinker. By the end of this book, you’ll enjoy writing more because you will be able to use
words to influence and inspire any audience.
Being a writer means you have mastered the ability to manipulate people to accept and even
praise your way of thinking. In fact, if you think about it, writing is a form of mind control: your words,
when stacked up and polished just right, will seep into a reader’s imagination and begin to think for the
reader. That’s the power of writing: using language to demand a reader think or feel a certain way, the
way you want, how you want, when you want. That’s when the pen becomes mightier than the sword, as
the old idiom promises.
Keeping that in mind, this book is not designed to bore you with lingo and academic-writing gobbledygook (cool word, look it up), but to help you understand the deeper philosophies behind being a writer in
all aspects of your life. At its core, this book will guide you with a series of tips, hints and theories
that will help you use language to achieve everything you could ever want in life.
Let’s start by building on the baseball/softball analogy. Sitting down to write is the same as stepping up
to the plate to bat. Though you may not know the sport well, the most wonderful part of baseball is that
players are expected to fail more than twice as many times as they succeed. The best in the game bat .300,
which means only getting a hit during 3 out of 10 attempts in the batter’s box.
Just like baseball, it’s okay and even expected that you will try and fail in moments as a young writer. You’ll
strike out in some sentences and foul off others. Sometimes you’ll be confused, maybe even overpowered by
the essay topic you’re up against (just like that nasty curveball or 100 mph fastball). But you must train your
mind to focus on what happens when you hit the ball clean and true, when words move from that sweet
spot in your mind and are transferred onto the page with inspired language. Always study how your brain
is thinking in these moments, then strive to think and perform this way whenever you write.
So how does a baseball or softball player rise to greatness? First off, the batter must be aware of the situation in the game, which as a writer, is understanding the subject you’re writing about. Secondly, the
batter must face the pitcher with confidence that can only come after hours of practice. As a writer, you
must rehearse, learn to focus your mind, and always, always, always remain positive.
Writing is about disciplining your thoughts to embrace failures as a means to study successes. It’s respecting the rules of language, analyzing how the best writers use words, and realizing you will have a unique
approach that will crack a home run now and again with a great line or inspired connection of ideas. Remember, it’s okay to strike out sometimes, so long as your mind is focused on what matters: reaching your
potential by keeping your eye on the ball with an inspired approach to be the best you can be.
At its core, masterful writing is not all that complicated. It’s really no different than making a request
to your parent or guardian when you want to stay out past curfew. The components are the same: you
have to speak clearly with a balanced mix of logic and emotion, make your argument with focused points,
then lay out your request in a tone that will make your caretaker say, “Sure, kiddo, go have a great time!”
Most of you are experts at this by now, so in essence, you’re all writers at heart, and understand the first
fundamental of the game.
So if you ever get stuck, or frustrated, take a peek back at these analogies and hopefully they will guide
you to seeing once again that writing is simply stacking your thoughts in order to manipulate someone
to accept your ideas.
Great wars have begun and ended, laws have been passed and repealed, all behind the words of great
writers with a command of language. It’s your turn to start a personal revolution in writing.
Rewiring Your Brain to Think Like a Writer
The first step to becoming a great writer is learning to think like a great writer. The first step in thinking
like a great writer is respecting the power of individual words to carve out original ideas. Great writers
use words as weapons to get points across, to demand change, to challenge others to think like
they do. Never forget: your words can make others think like you do. When cobbled together with finesse, they will change the world.
Like many people who love writing, I broke into a sweat when teachers even looked at me in high school
and college. If one ever called on me, I grumbled some weak response, and was visibly shaking. But
when it was time to write, I became a gladiator. It was the only opportunity I had to frame my thoughts,
and though choppy and sometimes grammatically broken, my written words allowed me to say what I
couldn’t using my voice. Instead, I found the internal voice of the writer inside, and suddenly I was a rock
star, a dancer, a poet and a designer. Words gave my personality shape as I began seeing each as having
unique spirits, unique powers, that could set me free.
What is Writing?
Writing is the process of giving your conscious and subconscious thoughts shape. Doing this is about the
most complicated and bewildering challenge you could ever face. Think about what happens when you
write: you drill into your mind, drawing on all your knowledge and all your opinions of that knowledge,
then magically, move those thoughts through your writing hand as you choose words that translate your
ideas and opinions onto paper. Even more challenging, you are tasked with entertaining the reader with
the finished product. In short, it’s a complicated, reflective experience that is as maddening as it is exhilarating when attempting to get it just right.
But the reward is worth the effort. Great writing is behind just about every memorable moment in history,
from love letters launching lifelong romances to pamphlets provoking riots and revolutions curing social
ills. What’s remarkable is the ideas behind the words were hatched in the minds and imaginations of inspired thinkers. Again, the old cliché “the pen is mightier than the sword” shows the power of language. But
until you realize your potential to use this power, you will feel as displaced as a comedian doing standup at
a funeral. Find your purpose and your place, and you will soon make the most bereaved giggle.
A fundamental to writing is learning to always find joy in working through the writing process, to yearn
to translate the deepest thoughts from your mind into images, ideas and inspiration for the world to read.
Never complain when asked to write, but instead, cherish the opportunity to express yourself. Even
if you are a weak writer today, reminding yourself of that fact is only going to make those weaknesses more
pronounced. This much you can control: always remember to smile through the process.
To get started, say the following aloud five times: “I love writing because it allows me to explore my deepest
feelings, my inspiration, my philosophies about life, and I will always write with great pride and determination because it is my legacy!”
Maintaining the Clear and Focused Mind of a Writer
Just as athletes lift weights and jog to keep their performance at peak levels, writing is a muscle needing
exercise every day. Unfortunately, many young writers don’t honor this discipline. Instead, most “binge
write,” meaning they exhaust themselves writing an essay for a few hours over a couple days, then don’t
touch pen to paper (or fingertips to keyboard) for weeks.
The best writers in history found the discipline to write every day, knowing some days would be inspired
and full of lively prose, but on others, their words would be flat and unimaginative. The more disciplined
you become at practicing, however, the more skilled you will become at making words leap off the page
and into the minds of your readers. So try to write for 20 minutes or more every day, maybe in a
journal, or through emails or thoughtful texts and social media posts to friends. As you write, focus
on all the lessons learned in this book, and your writing will begin to buzz. What’s better, the more you
write, the faster you will be able to write, as words start to arrive with ease, seeming to spill out of your
mind as though you are having a casual conversation with an old friend.
Writing as Meditation
Let me recap one of the most annoying moments that happens in life: you have a really funny story to tell
a group of friends but keep getting interrupted every 10-20 seconds along the way. It often starts with
that loudmouth friend who always has to give his opinion at each turn of the storyline, or worse, starts
going into his own experience distantly related to what you’re talking about, right when you’re getting
to the good part. Usually around that time another friend’s phone lights up and she starts texting, forcing
you to have to pause and wait until she’s done.
By this time, the momentum of your story is crushed, but you tell your friends it has a funny ending, and
continue. Loudmouth friend chimes in again and you want to pinch his lips shut, but instead, raise your
voice. With that, you crawl to the finish line of your story. All the life has been sucked out of the punch
line by now, and at best, you get a polite chuckle from the one friend trying to listen.
Don’t you hate that?
I just described what 90 percent of my students do when they write. Even though writing takes a clear mind
that draws deeply on personal knowledge to strengthen details with figurative language, shows, verbs and
tone, I watch students sabotage their efforts each and every day by distracting themselves – talking to a kid
sitting nearby, changing songs on their phones, texting, playing games, and the worst: taking a selfie, as if
they want to capture photographic proof of them being untrained, undisciplined, basic writers.
Key Point: Just like your story to friends gets choppy and loses flair when you are interrupted, your writing will
suffer the same fate if you don’t give it the full attention it deserves.
Writing is difficult for teenagers and young adults because many lack a basic skill: focus. This is a
discipline you can work on starting right now, and if you do, you will almost certainly rise to become the
best writer in the room. Turn off the phone, tune out the conversation around you, and dive deep into your
mind to consider ways to effectively draw on knowledge and details that bring inspiration to your words.
Here come the naysayers: “I can multi-task!” “I can’t write without music!” “I can control myself from
checking Instagram!” Balderdash! Unless you are getting on your phone to look up the meaning of that
word, put it away. Or else, accept the unpleasant fact that your writing will at best remain average.
Nobody can write when dealing with distractions in life – a distracted mind does circles around whatever
is distracting it. If you have several errands to run before 6 p.m., then two tests tomorrow to study for,
and a boyfriend or girlfriend who’s mad at you because you can’t hang out, you will not thrive when you
sit down to write that two-page essay. Your mind will be bent in too many directions.
Writing is similar to meditation, where the writer surrenders himself to an invisible current guiding him down a stream of subconscious thought. Words rise to the surface; ripples and undertows
bring inspiration or nudge ideas off course. In time, the flow comes and you are floating peacefully …
Bzzzzzz! Your phone buzzes and all is lost as your loudmouth friend capsizes your mind.
Whatever the excuse, you can control your destiny by putting aside all distractions when you write. Writing
takes as much focus and concentration as any activity you could ever hope to master, so isolate yourself, turn
down the noise in your mind, and focus on the task at hand: learning to use language to leave your legacy.
Chapter Two: Action Verbs
Great writers understand action verbs are the single most important element to writing because action
verbs fuel pace and motion. Strong verbs make your writing sound like a heavyweight fighter swinging
for the knockout punch; Weak verbs make your writing sound like a 100-year-old man dying on life support. Will your writing sound like a gladiator or slow death? Action verbs will decide this for you.
Though studying the parts of speech can seem boring, and your confusion about grammar may make
you dread writing in general, remember this rule: a well-placed verb makes a sentence sizzle. That’s
because verbs naturally stir emotion, propelling the action of every subject being covered. Verbs either
pop with color or fizzle out, depending on how well you consider them in your writing.
In news broadcasts, terrorist groups are reported as being bent on capturing and killing those who oppose their way of life. Producers know this will be a high-interest story for viewers, but even a subject
as dramatic as terrorism deserves strong verbs. Instead of reporting a terrorist group simply “killed” a
person the night before, the broadcasts use verbs like “slaughtered” or “executed” or “beheaded.” Those
verbs are more specific, create more emotion, and therefore keep viewers’ tuned in longer. Even when
reporting a violent story, news agencies realize the moment they stop poking a viewer’s emotions, she
will likely change the channel. They are therefore experts at selecting verbs to influence and engage the
imagination. Great writers deliver the same emotional tug and release whenever considering verbs.
Flexing Your Action Verbs
First of all, what is a verb? Believe it or not, a complete sentence only needs two words: a subject and
a verb. The verb is the action of the sentence, or what the subject is doing. Therefore, the following is a
complete sentence: “She walks.”
To test yourself, circle each of the action verbs in this paragraph:
That girl thinks she’s so fly, she deserves to get swatted! Primping her hair, strutting around sassing everyone, I hope
she learns the hard way that her face looks more like a toad than a diva princess. And that voice, wailing away, passing rumors about other girls in school. Someone needs to slap her ego back into reality.
So what are the verbs? A trick to finding action verbs in a sentence is to take out the word you think
might be a verb and ask if you can physically do that word. In other words, can you ___________
something. Let’s look at the first sentence. Can you “That” something? Nope, so it’s not a verb. Can you
“girl” something? No again, so not a verb. Can you “think” something? Yes, so “thinks” must be a verb.
You can “fly” something, but it’s used as slang here, and is not a verb. It’s what the girl “thinks” she is.
Next half of the sentence: Can you “deserve” something? Yes, so it’s a verb. Can you “swat” something?
Again yes, so it’s a verb. Go back through to identify verbs using this technique if you struggled.
Some verbs (primping, strutting, sassing, wailing, slap) engage the reader’s imagination and show the
“girl” subject well. Many readers will see “primping” and visualize a girl obsessed with her hair. “Wailing” forces a reader to think about girls who complain in shrill, obnoxious voices, and if this is the effect
a verb is having on the reader, the writer is winning. A strong verb always makes readers imagine,
getting them involved in the action, and this keeps them leaning in for more (knockout punch).
Bryan Thors Noonan © 2016 All Rights Reserved
Other basic verbs (thinks, looks, learns) don’t have the same effect, and momentarily lull the imagination
to sleep (life support) because the verbs aren’t allowing the reader to experience engaging action. Understand this and you’ll realize the power of verbs.
Star this next line and never forget, as it might be the most important in both books: Every sentence
must at minimum have a subject and a verb, and though one cannot change the subject, great
writers always search for strong verbs to maximize the subject’s personality.
In other words, if asked to write an essay about “girly girls,” writers are stuck with that subject. They
can’t change the subject to tough guys or overprotective grandparents. Though they are stuck with this
specific subject, great writers recognize they have the power to alter the choice of verbs to bring life to
“girly girls,” since again, verbs should always attempt to embolden a subject’s personality. Remember
that from this day forward, and your writing will instantly become sharper and more alive.
Here’s an easy exercise to carry this point further. Think about this sentence: “She walks.” Is walks a
strong verb? Not at all. It’s basic, has no personality. Across planet earth, billions of girls (subjects) walk
(verb), so “walks” offers little to the reader’s imagination.
Now watch what happens to the personality of the subject “she” when changing the verb “walks” to
“struts” to rewrite the sentence, “She struts.” Suddenly the girl (subject) has swagger, personality, and
confidence because she struts (verb). The reader’s mind will be more engaged by “strut” than “walk” because “strut” pokes the reader’s imagination with a purposeful description of how the subject is moving.
One simple verb breeds life and gives personality to the subject. This is how verbs wield power.
Advanced tip! When in Microsoft Word or most word processors, there is an option to right-click on a word to get a
list of synonyms. Get in the habit of doing that until you find verbs that best fit the personality of your subjects. If the
right-click doesn’t yield great results, several websites offer synonyms for words, so if you don’t like the options there,
Google “synonyms for _______” and see what pops up.
Assignment 1: Weighing Action Verbs
Part One: Let’s consider the effectiveness of the action verbs in the next paragraph. Start by underlining
the verbs to practice identifying them. Then, write an analysis in the space below describing how three of
these verbs bring a splash of life to the subjects they are covering. In other words, how does each of the
three verbs help the reader really see and understand the subject in a fulfilling and interesting way?
The NFL has permitted players to pummel one another for too long, and if the commissioner doesn’t start slapping
heavy fines for this unnecessary roughness, someone is likely to get killed. Play after play, these animals poise themselves to rip the heads off the players they are defending. After a violent collision midfield, one of these freaks showboats around to cheers from the crowd as medics rush out to save the next victim. There rarely seems to be a game
that goes by without a player thrashing on the field, leg twisted at a 90-degree angle, eyes staring out of his helmet in
fear for his life. Are these athletes or savages? It’s high time the NFL started caging these barbarians.
Chapter Two: Action Verbs
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Leaving Your Literary Legacy
Part Two: As we learn to use verbs, it’s wise to go in reverse and replace strong verbs with weak verbs so
we can see the difference. Let’s read it again, but this time after the verbs in the original paragraph are
replaced with weak verbs, which are underlined:
The NFL has allowed players to hurt one another for too long, and if the commissioner doesn’t start
giving heavy fines for this unnecessary roughness, someone is likely to get killed. Play after play, these
animals ready themselves to injure the players they are defending. After a violent collision midfield, one
of these freaks jogs around to cheers from the crowd as medics come out to help the next victim. There
rarely seems to be a game that goes by without a player hurt on the field, leg turned at a 90-degree angle,
eyes looking out of his helmet in fear for his life. Are these athletes or savages? It’s high time the NFL
started correcting these barbarians.
This last paragraph is basic and boring, lacks inspiration and life, simply because the action verbs are flat
and stiff, like that old man dying on life support. Remember, the only words that have been altered between
the two paragraphs are the verbs, proving their power and purpose. Let’s break down each sentence:
Sentence One Weak Action Verbs: The NFL has allowed players to hurt one another for too long, and if the
commissioner doesn’t start giving heavy fines for this unnecessary roughness, someone is likely to get killed.
Sentence One Strong Action Verbs: The NFL has permitted players to pummel one another for too long,
and if the commissioner doesn’t start slapping heavy fines for this unnecessary roughness, someone is
likely to get killed.
Analysis
Allowed Vs. Permitted: The NFL is a powerful institution, and doesn’t “allow” players to do anything, but
instead, gives permission as the end-all authority. “Permitted” shows the power the NFL has.
Hurt Vs. Pummel: Little kids “hurt” one another, NFL players “pummel.” Pummeled has more authority
because it shows significant hurting, which is more appropriate to illustrate the power.
Giving Vs. Slapping: “Giving” is sweet. You give your grandmother a hug. You give your girlfriend a rose.
The NFL commissioner doesn’t give compliments or roses. He slaps fines on players because he’s a force.
Sentence Two Weak Action Verbs: Play after play, these animals ready themselves to injure the players
they are defending.
Sentence Two Strong Action Verbs: Play after play, these animals poise themselves to rip the heads off
the players they are defending.
Analysis
Ready Vs. Poise: “Ready themselves” is weak because “ready” is vague and dull. You get ready for a night
out. You get ready for a test. Poised, on the other hand, offers an intensity in how the player is getting
ready, that he is “sharp, focused ready,” not just “let me comb my hair to get ready.”
Injure Vs. Rip: This one is obvious, since “injure” is a dainty verb, as in, “I injured my finger when I jammed
it in the doorway.” Poor baby. “Injure” sounds wimpy, while “rip” sounds angry and NFL.
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Book One: Rewiring Your Brain to Think Like a Writer
Bryan Thors Noonan © 2016 All Rights Reserved
Sentence Three Weak Action Verbs: After a violent collision midfield, one of these freaks jogs around
to cheers from the crowd as medics come out to help the next victim
Sentence Three Strong Action Verbs: After a violent collision midfield, one of these freaks showboats
around to cheers from the crowd as medics rush out to save the next victim.
Analysis
Jog Vs. Showboats: The term showboating was created to describe athletes who pound chests, do somersaults and celebrate in opposing players’ faces. “Jog” means running around a track for exercise. “Jog”
lulls the imagination to sleep while “showboating” blasts off a moment of egotistical celebration.
Come Vs. Rush: Is the medic coming out to say hello? The verb “rush” creates drama relevant to the scene,
and it shows how the medic is “coming.” Come is basic and boring, and creates no sense of urgency.
Help Vs. Save: “Help” might just mean he’s assisting the player to his feet, while “save” shows a deeper
degree to the injury, that the player needs a medic or there might be terrible consequences.
Sentence Four Weak Action Verbs: There rarely seems to be a game that goes by without a player hurt
on the field, leg turned at a 90-degree angle, eyes looking out of his helmet in fear for his life.
Sentence Four Strong Action Verbs: There rarely seems to be a game that goes by without a player
thrashing on the field, leg twisted at a 90-degree angle, eyes staring out of his helmet in fear for his life.
Analysis
Hurt Vs. Thrashing: Like injure, “hurt” shows no degree of pain, while “thrashing” helps the reader see the
player moving around in agony. “Thrashing” creates a sense of how much suffering the player is enduring, while “hurt” shows generic pain, and therefore misses an opportunity to create drama.
Turned Vs. Twisted: “Turned” is basic and does not show the degree to which the leg is at an angle. “Twisted” makes the reader think of a pretzel, which maximizes the visual of the leg being bent in an awful way.
The reader’s imagination will grimace at “twisted” but barely shrug at “turned.”
Looking Vs. Staring: Everybody “looks”; someone in terrible pain “stares.” It shows the intensity of the
player’s fear when he “stares,” rather than him just casually “looking” out at the medic tending to him.
Final Sentence Weak Action Verb: It’s high time the NFL started correcting these barbarians.
Final Sentence Strong Action Verb: It’s high time the NFL started caging these barbarians.
Analysis
Correcting Vs. Caging: You should be “corrected” when using boring verbs. Anyone who is “caged” is a serious threat deserving a far worse fate. The verb “correct” makes it seem like the crime was insignificant,
while “caging” demands the necessity for more severe punishment.
Chapter Two: Action Verbs
39
Leaving Your Literary Legacy
Assignment 2: Breaking Down Verbs
Write a paragraph recapping how the verbs in the first version above helped the writing pop more than
the second. Quote or follow the logic of any analysis you agree with, if it can help prove your point.
Assignment 3: Tickling Verbs
1. Walk
In the space provided, jot down synonyms, or similar words, you could use to replace the boring verb
“walk” (examples: waltzed, marched, stalked). Imagine a simple subject “she” doing each of these synonyms for walk (examples: she waltzed, she marched, she stalked). Feel free to use synonyms in past,
present or future tenses, like walked/walks/walking. You should have at least 15 synonyms for “walk”
when you are done. Remember: use thesaurus.com, as needed, but come up with your own first.
2. Run
Do the same for the verb “run” in the space provided. You should have at least 15 synonyms for “run” when
you are done. Feel free to use synonyms that are in past, present or future tenses, like ran/running/runs.
3. Said
Do the same for the verb “said” in the space provided. You should have at least 15 synonyms for “said”
when you are done.
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Book One: Rewiring Your Brain to Think Like a Writer
Bryan Thors Noonan © 2016 All Rights Reserved
Assignment 4: Connecting Verbs to the Subject’s Personality
Each of the verbs you came up with in the last assignment gives a unique breath of life to your simple
subject “she.” Maybe you came up with “tip-toed” as a synonym for walk, or “sprints” for run, or “whispered” for said. Now, go back and circle your favorite three synonyms for walk, your favorite three for
run and your favorite three for said, then write a sentence describing what kind of person would likely
“do” each of these verbs. Really consider how each verb gives the reader a hint about the simple subject
“she,” even if we don’t know how old she is, or what she looks like, or even what situation she is in. Recognize that and you’ll see the power verbs offer your writing. Write them like these examples:
• Sample synonym for “walk”: She tiptoes. A girl sneaking around so she can’t be heard would “tiptoe.”
• Sample synonym for “run”: She sprints. A girl getting away from someone, or in a short race, would “sprint.”
• Sample synonym for “said”: She whispered. A girl telling a secret or personal information would “whisper.”
1. Walk
Synonym 1 for “walk”:
Synonym 2 for “walk”:
Synonym 3 for “walk”:
2. Run
Synonym 1 for “run”:
Synonym 2 for “run”:
Synonym 3 for “run”:
3. Said
Synonym 1 for “said”:
Synonym 2 for “said”:
Synonym 3 for “said”:
Chapter Two: Action Verbs
41
Leaving Your Literary Legacy
Assignment 5: Sparking Strong Verbs on the Spot
Part One: Dance
Come up with a list of about 10 synonyms for “dance” in the space provided. Remember: thesaurus.com.
Now, write sentences that effectively show the following subjects dancing: professional dancer, young
couple, older couple. Remember, different people in different settings dance in different ways, so use
synonyms for the verb “dance” to capture the essence of how each of these subjects would likely be moving. Feel free to steal a verb from your list above if it best fits your subject’s personality.
Example for professional dancer (synonyms for “dance” are in bold): The ballerina twirled on stage,
the tips of her feet quaking as she spun.
Sentence One Subject: Professional dancer during a performance (in the space below, write a sentence
or two with a synonym verb(s) for “dance” that really shows how the dancer might be moving on stage):
Sentence Two Subject: A young couple at a dance club on Friday night (write a sentence or two with a
synonym verb(s) for “dance” that really shows how the young couple is moving on the dance floor):
Sentence Three Subject: An elderly couple at its 40th wedding anniversary party (write a sentence with
a verb(s) that really shows how the old couple is “dancing” at the party):
Review: Looking back over the sentences you’ve written, which sentence has the verb(s) that best shows
the personality of the subject the verb is covering? In a sentence or two, explain which verb(s) is the best
and describe what the verb(s) specifically brings out in the personality of the subject described.
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Book One: Rewiring Your Brain to Think Like a Writer