One Little Thing Writers Can Do

Action

Have you ever been reading a book and a sentence or a phrase or a paragraph made you pause for a few seconds? The reason being that you noticed something interesting about the writing itself. As writers' I think we read with a writer's eye, not strictly that of someone picking up a book for sheer pleasure and nothing else. 

Last evening, I picked up the mystery I'm currently reading and skimmed along at a rapid pace until a very simple sentence stopped me. This is not the exact quote, but it went something like this: He put his finger in his book as he closed it and looked across the expanse of the lawn.  What do you think made me pause and reread that short bit? It was the part about the man putting his finger in his book as he closed it to mark his place. We've all done it at one time or another; we can all relate to it, and it shows us something more than just being told that he looked across the lawn. 

When I read He put his finger in his book as he closed it..., my mind sees an image of the man. I know he's sitting because he's reading a book. I know that something caught his attention because he stopped reading and put his finger in the book to mark the place. It's a bit of action added to the telling of what he did--looking across the lawn. 

What does that small piece of action do? It illuminates the scene. It lets the reader see the man better than just telling the reader that he looked across the lawn. 

When you write fiction or even creative non-fiction, sprinkling a little action throughout makes for a far more interesting read. That said, don't overdo it. Don't add an action to every sentence. That would be pure overkill. Like all things, moderation is key. 

Another example:  Suzanne cocked her head toward Henry. His words could change their lives. Her 'action' shows us that she's really wanting to hear what Henry has to say. A declaration of love perhaps? Or revealing a secret. The action doesn't have to be anything major. Something as simple as cocking ones' head or placing a finer in a book as you close it can add a great deal to your writing.