Writing Advice: Avoiding “Thought” Verbs


Nuts and Bolts: “Thought” Verbs – Chuck Palahniuk

Ran across this post by Chuck Palahniuk (author of Fight Club), which features some of the simplest but most powerful writing advice I’ve seen in a while: avoiding “thought” verbs as much as possible. These are verbs like knows, thinks, wonders, and remembers. Instead, he implores us to be as descriptive as possible.

I think this is fantastic writing advice for writers of any level—not just in fiction writing but in corporate and personal settings, as well. Don’t state but show.