Great sentences pivot on great verbs. In Vex, Hex, Smash, Smooch, Constance Hale, best-selling author of Sin and Syntax, zeroes in on verbs that make bad writing sour and good writing sing. Each chapter features four sections: “Vex” tackles tough syntax, “Hex” debunks myths about verbs, “Smash” warns of bad writing habits, and “Smooch” showcases exemplary writing.
A veteran journalist and writing teacher, Hale peppers her advice with pop-culture references and adapts her expertise for writers of every level. With examples ranging from the tangled clauses of Henry James and the piercing insight of Joan Didion to the punchy gerunds of the Coen brothers and the passive verbs of CEOs on trial, this book offers a reenergized take on the “little despot of the sentence.”
Vex, Hex, Smash, Smooch: Let Verbs Power Your Writing was published October 2013 by W.W. Norton and Company.
I picked this one up for my writing reference shelf, hoping for some help on strengthening the verbs in my fiction. What Hale delivers is a detailed journey of the English language with an intense focus on those words that get things done (verbs). I found her discussions informative and entertaining, and the chapters were well-paced.
Linguists and word-nerds will certainly enjoy this one.
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