LESSON 6, EXERCISE AND WRITING. SDT

Lesson Six Exercise – Weak versus Strong Verbs Write up a list of twenty-five basic (weak) action verbs.



1 Play / pretend

2 Ran / bolted

3 Walk / saunter

4 Move / Sashay

5 Turn / Twirl

6 jump / bounce

7 Step / prance

8 Mix / synthesize

9 Match / mingle

10 Trip / stumble

11 Mark / slash

12 question / interrogate

13 Try / motivate

14 Walk / meander

15 Study / cram

16 Go / eject

17 Work / construct

18 Look / scrutinize

19 See / understand

20 call / Commiserate

21 Wonder / Incredulous

22 Sing / Belt it out

23 Find / discover

24 Got / confiscated

25 Send / launch





Lesson Six Writing Assignment - Show! Don't Tell! For your writing assignment this week, write a 500 to 700 word scene for your story.









“That’s where you began to die. A little at a time. Over time. A slow assault on your being. And it got you here. Is this what you want?”

Dee loved her daughter and she had to try to reach through her daughter Kristin’s misery. Her daughter was a sturdy woman with long blonde curls. Today, she stared out the window at the snow covered hedgeline. The bleak ice-encrusted landscape mirrored the state of her soul, “I wouldn’t mind if it picked up the pace.”

“Kristin! Do you know what you are saying?”

Kristin hugged herself with slow brushes up and down her arms. Yes, she had thought about it. A lot. Sometimes she wished she could feel. She confessed, “It’s been almost a year since the Army sent Tony back to me – what was left of him. You ever see somebody after they get blown up? He is the only man I have ever loved. And they took him from me. Tell me. What joy is there now?”

Kristin felt her mom’s arms sneak around her waist and her head rest between her shoulder blades, “Kristin, honey, you have kids …”

The bitterness in her voice could not be masked, “I know. And I have a job. And I have Cindy to help me. And I have a roof over my head. And I have things. What I don’t have is Tony.”

“Oh, my sweet baby girl …”

Kristin extracted herself from her mom’s embrace. “I’ll be fine. Really. I need to get supper ready. Cindy and the kids will be back soon.”

“Kristin it’s not normal for two sisters to cocoon like this when you are both so young.”

“No one is forcing her.”

Dee accused, “You are.”

Kristin’s hands stung from slamming them against the window panes. She snapped, “Knock it off, Mom. The only one who did not have a choice in this arrangement is me. Excuse me.”

“Ouch!” Dee massaged her hip where it rammed into the edge of the table.

“I’m sorry. Did I hurt you?”

“It’ll mend.”

Kristin grabbed her mom close, “Oh, Mom.”

“Kristin?”

“Hm?”

“Do you know you are petting my hair like a puppy?”

“Oh, sorry.”

“Not even a courtesy chuckle?”

Kristin gave her mother a smile as she held her mother’s face with both hands, “Nope. Not even that.”

“Sweetie, do you know there is no light in your eyes. You smile but it does not reach your eyes. That can’t be good for your kids. When was the last time you had a good cry? Did you ever mourn?”

Kristin brushed her lips against her mom’s forehead. “Go set the table. I have to make supper.”

Dee could not let it go. She should have opened drawers and doors to find the table settings. She should have just let it go. She could not. “Honey, one day you are going to explode ….”

Kristin slammed her hands on the counter in front of her, the fury in her eyes stopped Dee’s advice. “Explode? Like my Tony? Is there an IED buried out there? Want them to take me out like they did my Tony?”

Dee tugged on Kristin’s arm that had snapped in front of her face to point out the window, “That’s not what I meant and you know it.”

Kristin spat out, “You wanted a reaction, you got one. Do you want to continue?”

Dee wiped the saliva spray off her chin, as she whispered, “No. Where are the plates?”

Kristin spit out, “I. Don’t. Care. Figure it out.”

Dee cringed every time Kristin slammed a pan on the stove, waiting for her to break something with each one of her punctuated and exaggerated actions. Dee could not stand that her beautiful little girl turned into this bitter creature who could only express anger or the blankness of a black hole for emotion. Dee moved to a quiet spot between behind the hutch to drag her hands across her wet cheeks. Kristin must not see her cry.