In the age of AI, you may think honing your writing is redundant. If you can get a bot to edit your work, why bother with sharpening your writing skills? While you may post a well-crafted piece on LinkedIn or submit a lucid essay, does the writing churned out by a bot express who you are? Do you see yourself reflected in the words?
Even as you use AI for various tasks, continue to cultivate your singular writing voice. Don’t let efficiency trump authenticity. How you write shapes how you think, and how you think impacts who you are. If you don’t want to surrender your thinking or sense of self to a bot, keep writing.
Power of the word
In Verb Your Enthusiasm, Pulitzer Prize winner Sarah Kaufman argues that you can transform your writing by wielding verbs wisely. Verbs are powerful as their implied movement stirs our minds and bodies. While you may write, The man walks into the room, see how the meaning of this sentence changes if you substitute ‘walks’ with any one of these verbs: ambles, bounces, creeps, dashes, shuffles. Each verb elicits a different image of speed, style, energy and emotion. According to Kaufman, “deliberate verb choices” can “sharpen” your writing because verbs pack in so much meaning.
It is critical to ponder or agonise over verb choices. Kaufman suggests “replacing vague verbs with specific ones.” For example, in the sentence She put the book down, replace ‘put’ with slams, lays, drops, or slides. Choose the verb that perfectly fits the context. Further, a “precise verb” can make adverbs redundant. Instead of The lady unwrapped the gift furiously, you may say, The lady tore open the gift.
Likewise, Seema sipped wine is preferable to Seema drank wine slowly. As most writers of fiction are advised to “show, not tell”, precise verbs can invigorate prose by evoking the right action.
When it comes to reporting conversation, Kaufman advocates using ‘says’ or ‘said’, as the focus has to be on the character words. Using other verbs like commands, yells, cries or pleads can distract the reader from the content of the conversation.
Like many writing guides, Kaufman asks us to be circumspect while using the passive voice. Typically, the passive construction is used to “soft-pedal reality”. For example, the statement, “Mistakes were made,” absolves the subject by omitting them. Who made the mistake? Most often, using the active voice leads to crisper and clearer communication.
Keep it simple
Be and do verb forms are banal. Kaufman suggests replacing them with “verbs of action”. Instead of He was baking a cake, He baked a cake lands better. She also cautions against using “fancy verbs” over “effective” ones. For example, ‘use’, ‘explain’, and ‘improve’ do a better job than ‘utilise’, ‘elucidate’, or ‘ameliorate.’ Vague ‘generalities’ like “giving 110%”, “moving the needle”, or “raising the bar” don’t signify anything specific unless the writer offers details of what they mean.
You may also spice up your writing with verb-driven metaphors and similes. As metaphors convert abstract concepts into tangible things, employ verbs to invigorate different senses. Verbs may also rev up emotions and “deepen descriptions”.
According to Kaufman, the perfect verb “clicks like a lock”. To help you master the verb, she recommends reading sportswriters. Likewise, dance reviews may burst with verbs to capture the dynamism of a show. Keep your eyes and ears open for novel verbs. Unlike AI-generated prose, she urges you to jolt readers with “fresh verbs”.
In an article in The New York Times, Bret Stephens says that, just as digital devices have caused a “decline of reading”, AI is likely to have a similar impact on writing. Unlike speech, which can be uttered in haste, we assume that the written word is considered and coherent. Expend effort and cultivate your unique writing voice. Your older self will thank you for it.
The writer is visiting faculty, School of Education, Azim Premji University and the co-author of Bee-witched.