The "First Ten Verbs" Meme
Don't know whether or not I've been tagged, and don't feel like waiting. So since I like this, I'm going to answer the meme right now.
This was started by Brett of A Bucket of Love and the idea is to list the first ten verbs in your current or most recent writing project in order to see how active or passive they are ("are" being a passive verb indicating a state of being, which is what these verbs actually are).
Here are the first ten (or so) from Hell on Wheels, my vampire western.
1. glints (Y)
2. glide (Y)
3. tips (Y)
4. end (Y/N)
5. is (N)
6. are (N)
7. play (Y)
8. rise and fall (Y)
9. fights (Y)
10. move (Y/N)
So I think I did pretty well there, the idea being that active typically works better than passive verbage. The "is" and "are" at 5 and 6 were in the same paragraph, establishing the setting, but I guess I could make them even more active. Also the "fights" was actually followed by "to be heard" so it is a mixture, but fights is the primary verb in the phrase. Others ("glide" or "tips") that I marked as "Y" (meaning yes, they are active) indicate a slow or tentative action, but are still active verbs nonetheless.
Now go on and tag yerselves!
Tags: meme, screenwriting, active+vs+passive+verbs
This was started by Brett of A Bucket of Love and the idea is to list the first ten verbs in your current or most recent writing project in order to see how active or passive they are ("are" being a passive verb indicating a state of being, which is what these verbs actually are).
Here are the first ten (or so) from Hell on Wheels, my vampire western.
1. glints (Y)
2. glide (Y)
3. tips (Y)
4. end (Y/N)
5. is (N)
6. are (N)
7. play (Y)
8. rise and fall (Y)
9. fights (Y)
10. move (Y/N)
So I think I did pretty well there, the idea being that active typically works better than passive verbage. The "is" and "are" at 5 and 6 were in the same paragraph, establishing the setting, but I guess I could make them even more active. Also the "fights" was actually followed by "to be heard" so it is a mixture, but fights is the primary verb in the phrase. Others ("glide" or "tips") that I marked as "Y" (meaning yes, they are active) indicate a slow or tentative action, but are still active verbs nonetheless.
Now go on and tag yerselves!
Tags: meme, screenwriting, active+vs+passive+verbs
posted by Fun Joel | 10:41 PM
2 Comments:
Amazing.
The more I poke around, the more folks I find who *have* picked up this meme and run with it. Over on my sad little page (no-- this is not a shill) there has been just one or two comments, so I just assumed the whole notion blew away like a fart on the wind.
And "glints" is great first verb.
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B
Mackey -- that is one wacky pic you have there!
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