Literary litany: take this advice as sacred truth

• Nouns and verbs tell the story.
• Nouns and verbs are the power words in every language.
• Nouns and verbs provide the clarity of detail and the drama of action. (Think of how headlines can convey an entire tale: PITBULL BITES BOY. FATHER STRANGLES DOG.)

• Use adjectives sparingly.
• Tiny doses add texture and color. Overdosing distracts from the power words (nouns and verbs) that tell the story of people and things interacting.

• Weak verbs need the crutch of adverbs. Strong verbs stride on their own.
• She set down the mug angrily and coffee spilled over.
• She slammed down the mug and coffee sloshed out.

• Vivid writing is concrete, not abstract.
• Choose specific (not generic) nouns and verbs. Even with metaphors and similes, select precise nouns and potent verbs. "She eats like a bird." What kind of bird? A sparrow, a vulture, a falcon?