Damon Suede is an author on the Joanna Penn podcast this week. He was on the KOBO podcast a couple weeks ago and is definitely worth a listen. He has an interesting approach to writing which involves verbs. When we describe characters we are always looking at lists of adjectives but we need characters to DO SOMETHING in stories.
Verbs are what you DO.
I have the book but haven’t gotten through it completely but ever since I heard Damon talking about choosing an over arching verb to describe a character I have not been able to shake the thought.
Along the lines of my TEACHER BRAND post I also think about what verb would describe me.
My verb is CONJURE. I conjure magic and experiences for students and the people around me. I conjure worlds for people to get lost in with my stories. I conjure ideas with blog posts.
#dailyverb on Twitter is a great search if you are looking for interesting verbs. Today’s verb is BARRICADE.
Writing Prompt: Use the verb from #dailyverb to stimulate a list of 10 ways to use the word in a story or just what comes to mind. It makes for an interesting mind map!
http://www.damonsuede.com/livewire.html
Write.
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Perfect!
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Today I need to barricade myself at home and get organized so that I can enjoy the rest of my spring break!
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That is a great use for today!
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So true. Verbs are the muscles of the written word.
I will have to look at that site to spur my own ideas for writing. Thanks for the tip.
By the way, I love your verb to describe yourself. Well done.
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Wonder is the word that popped up right away. Your post reminded me of an exercise suggested by Sara K. Ahmed in “Being The Change” which is designed to help us see the way we see our students. She challenges us to list our students and describe them using only a noun in one column and a verb in the other. No adjectives! If we are honest, she says, than we’ll begin to recognize judgments that creep into the way we read and interpret our students. I tried it and it is quite a challenge. Verbs really don’t get the attention they deserve. Thanks for offering us a fresh perspective on our practice.
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Thanks for sharing this! This is new to me! Another name to research. Much appreciated.
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I love this idea! We are going to be teaching realistic fiction writng when we return to school, and I can definitely use this idea when having my students develop their characters! Thanks!
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For today it’s adapt! Because everything seems to be going wrong! Frustrated!!! But getting there… ❤
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oh no! I am sending you good wishes and vibes!
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Thanks! 😃
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What a terrific post! Another excellent way to grow kids’ enthusiasm and engagement, while improving content. Thank you!
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I’m back. “Wonder” is my word. I wonder about everything. Too much, sometimes 🙂
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Love it! That is a great word
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what a great exercise. To my amazement, the verb that popped into my mind for me was “meditate.” I am the most unmeditating person, but I have a cold right now and maybe that word is calling me to focus on healing myself. Thank you!
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Awesome post! I love the idea of verb usage. “When we describe characters we are always looking at lists of adjectives but we need characters to DO SOMETHING in stories.” – This line is perfect. The character’s actions can help move the story along (quotes, thoughts, remembering). Thank you for sharing.
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