I was teaching a workshop recently when a student asked, “How do I know if my sentences are working? I can see the scene in my head, but when I read it back, something feels flat.”
This is one of the most common problems writers face: the gap between the vivid story in your imagination and what actually makes it onto the page.
Here’s a diagnostic tool that will help you close that gap: the verb audit.
Why Strong Verbs Matter in Fiction
When you’re trying to edit your own work, you get caught up in the difference between what’s in your head and what’s on the page. You know what you meant to convey, so you read meaning into sentences that might not actually deliver it to fresh readers.
But verbs don’t lie. They’re the engines of your sentences, and they reveal exactly how much energy you’re bringing to the page.
The solution? Learn to categorize your verbs, then use that information to diagnose what’s working and what isn’t.
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The Three Types of Verbs in Fiction Writing
Every verb in your writing falls into one of three categories, and each type creates a different experience for readers:
1. Linking Verbs
These are the basic connection words that link a subject to a description. The main culprit is “to be” in all its forms:
- is, are, am
- was, were
- be, being, been
Examples:
- “I am tired.”
- “He was tall.”
- “She is angry.”
These sentences work like simple equations: noun + linking verb + adjective. They’re functional but bring almost no energy to the page.
What linking verbs do: They state facts and conditions efficiently.
What they don’t do: They don’t help readers visualize anything happening.
2. Thinking Verbs
These describe mental processes and internal states:
- remembered, reminisced, wondered
- thought, considered, realized
- felt, believed, understood
Examples:
- “Henry remembered what it was like to take a shower.”
- “She reminisced about her time with her mother.”
- “He thought about the conversation.”
What thinking verbs do: They give readers access to characters’ internal worlds. What they don’t do: They don’t help readers see anything. They’re invisible on the page.
3. Visual Action Verbs
These are verbs that readers can picture:
- ran, carried, walked
- slammed, whispered, stumbled
- grabbed, threw, ducked
Examples:
- “He ran down the hallway.”
- “She carried the box up the stairs.”
- “The door slammed behind them.”
What visual action verbs do: They help readers co-create scenes with you. They establish characters in space and time doing things readers can visualize.
How Professional Writers Use Strong Verbs
This is also where many writers plateau. They understand the concept of “show don’t tell,” but they don’t yet have diagnostic tools to apply it consistently across a full manuscript. Developing these tools — and learning when and how to use them — is what turns instinct into craft.
When I had workshop students analyze pages from writers they admired—Raymond Carver, Junot Díaz, Amy Tan—we found a consistent pattern:
Strong writing uses:
- A lot of visual action verbs (the foundation)
- Some linking verbs (for efficiency and variety)
- Very few thinking verbs (only when necessary)
This wasn’t universal, but it was remarkably consistent across different styles and genres.
How to Do a Verb Audit (Step by Step)
Step 1: Take a paragraph of your writing
Step 2: Identify every verb and categorize it
- Circle linking verbs in one color
- Underline thinking verbs
- Box visual action verbs
Step 3: Count the ratio
- How many of each type do you have?
- Which type dominates your paragraph?
Step 4: Diagnose the results
What Your Verb Choices Reveal About Your Writing
Too many linking verbs: Your writing feels static and factual. You’re telling rather than showing. Readers get information but don’t visualize scenes.
Example:
“Sarah was nervous. The room was dark. Her heart was beating fast.”
Too many thinking verbs: Your writing stays in characters’ heads. Readers understand what characters are feeling but can’t picture what’s happening.
Example:
“Sarah remembered feeling nervous in situations like this. She thought about how the darkness always bothered her. She realized her heart was beating faster.”
Strong visual verb foundation: Your writing creates scenes readers can see and enter. Characters exist in space doing things.
Example:
“Sarah pressed her back against the cold wall. Her heart hammered against her ribs as she peered into the dark hallway.”
Using Strong Verbs as a Revision Strategy
Don’t try to eliminate linking and thinking verbs entirely. You need all three types for variety and function. The goal is to build on a foundation of visual action verbs.
Converting Linking Verbs
Instead of: “She was angry.”
Try: “She slammed the door” or “She clenched her fists.”
Instead of: “The house was old.”
Try: “Paint peeled from the shutters” or “The porch sagged under the weight of decades.”
Converting Thinking Verbs
Instead of: “He remembered his childhood.”
Try: Show a specific memory through action and dialogue.
Instead of: “She felt nervous.”
Try: “Her hands trembled as she reached for the doorknob.”
Advanced Verb Techniques for Revision
Sentence-Level Analysis
Some sentences have one linking verb—fine. Some sentences have five visual verbs—maybe too many, time to slow down. By counting verbs per sentence, you can diagnose pacing issues.
Single linking verb: Probably fine for variety.
Multiple thinking verbs: Likely too much internal focus.
String of visual verbs: Might be rushing through action.
Paragraph-Level Patterns
Look at verb patterns across paragraphs:
- Opening with visual verbs tends to ground readers in scene
- Ending with linking verbs can feel flat or rushed
- Clusters of thinking verbs might indicate info-dumping internal state
Genre Considerations
Literary fiction might use more thinking verbs to explore consciousness. Thrillers and mysteries typically lean heavily on visual action verbs. Romance often balances all three for emotional and physical intimacy.
But regardless of genre, visual action verbs should form your foundation.
Common Verb Problems in Fiction (And How to Fix Them)
Problem: Static Scenes
Symptoms: Mostly linking verbs, characters feel like paper dolls
Solution: Add physical actions that reveal character and advance plot
Problem: Talking Heads
Symptoms: Dialogue with no visual anchoring
Solution: Interrupt speech with visual actions—gestures, movements, environmental details
Problem: Internal Overload
Symptoms: Too many thinking verbs, readers can’t picture what’s happening
Solution: Show internal states through external actions
Problem: Action Without Emotion
Symptoms: All visual verbs but no character depth
Solution: Choose visual verbs that imply emotional states
The Co-Creation Principle
Here’s why this matters: your goal is to help readers co-create scenes with you.
When you write “He thought about leaving,” readers get information but can’t picture anything. When you write “He grabbed his keys and headed for the door,” readers can visualize the action and infer the thought.
Visual action verbs invite readers into the scene. Linking and thinking verbs keep them outside looking in.
Practical Exercises
Exercise 1: Author Analysis
Pick a page from a writer you admire. Count their verb types. Notice how they use visual action verbs to create scenes you can enter.
Exercise 2: Your Own Work
Take your most recent page. Audit the verbs. What’s your ratio? Where could you convert linking or thinking verbs into visual action
Exercise 3: Rewriting Practice
Take a paragraph heavy in linking or thinking verbs. Rewrite it using primarily visual action verbs. Notice how the energy changes.
Building Your Revision Toolkit
The verb audit isn’t about following rigid rules—it’s about developing diagnostic instincts. When something feels flat in your writing, check your verbs. When readers seem disconnected from your scenes, look at your visual action verb ratio.
This gives you a concrete tool for revision. Instead of vaguely sensing that “something’s wrong,” you can identify specific problems:
- “This paragraph has six linking verbs and no visual action—no wonder it feels static.”
- “I’m using too many thinking verbs here—readers can’t see what’s happening.”
- “These visual verbs are doing good work—this scene feels alive.”
The Energy Test
Here’s the ultimate test: Do your verbs bring energy to the page?
Linking verbs state facts. Thinking verbs process information. But visual action verbs create movement, establish characters in space, and give readers something to picture.
When you build your writing on a foundation of visual action verbs, supplemented strategically with linking and thinking verbs, you create prose that readers can enter and inhabit.
That’s the difference between writing that sits on the page and writing that comes alive in readers’ imaginations.
Your Next Step
Pick up your most recent draft. Choose any paragraph. Count the verbs.
How many linking verbs? How many thinking verbs? How many visual action verbs?
That ratio will tell you everything you need to know about why that paragraph is or isn’t working.
Then you’ll have exactly what you need to make it better.
Ready to master the techniques that make your prose come alive on the page? The verb audit is just one tool in a complete revision toolkit. You can explore my Show Don’t Tell course to build these skills systematically, or schedule a consultation if you want direct feedback on specific passages.
