Friday, September 12, 2008

The Was War


I've got a reputation for being anti "was". Now to be fair, was is a word and it must be used sometimes, but most times in creative writing it drags your prose into the dreaded land of the passive. This happens because in most instances using the word was lends to telling the story rather than showing the story. For example, if the character "was running" you're telling the reader about the character's action, but if you say "he ran" or "he sprinted" it creates an image in the readers mind. They are actively engaged.

Today's prompt: The Was War

Write 500 words without using the word was. This is best accomplished by writing your scene and then editing it. However, this prompt will also cause your brain to flag the use of this passive word even while you're writing and help train you to find a better word choice.

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