The Accidental Writer: Get Rid of SOBs!
What are SOBs?
SOB stands for State Of Being Verbs. The most common types are: is, am, was, are, were, be, and been. From a writing perspective, they just lie there, taking up space without inspiring images or action. Whenever possible, replace them. And if you can’t replace them, spend time re-working sentences to eliminate them.
Here are examples:
The building was ten stories tall.
Replace with:
The building soared ten stories tall.
The new sentence has more life to it. It paints a better picture.
His face was burned by a fire.
Replace with:
A fire burned his face.
The new sentence uses one less word, which makes it faster and more active.
Always trade boring, passive sentences with exciting, active ones. Comb through your writing and spend time getting rid of SOBs. Your readers will appreciate it!
You can follow me on Twitter @jeffaltabef or you can visit my website at www.jeffaltabef.com where you can learn about my award winning thriller, Shatter Point, or my soon to be released YA novel Wind Catcher: A Chosen Novel.
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