Irregular Verbs

Literature is art in words, so writers should seize every opportunity to understand words better and use them more effectively. We reveal the characters we create through words--and nothing is more revealing than the words we put in their mouths or minds.

A technique to reveal a complex character is called "irregular verbs." An old but insightful joke shows how people use words to excuse themselves and accuse their enemies. It goes like this:

• 1st person: "I was indignant."
• 2nd person: "You were annoyed."
• 3rd person: "She freaked out."
  

E. Bradley Beevers wrote an article called "Watch your language" in the Journal of Biblical Counseling (Vol. XII, No.3, Spring 1994). Beevers explains how unbiblical our vocabulary can be: we say, "I got frustrated" instead of "I was angry," or say "He had an affair" instead of "He committed adultery." People who are sloppy with their words excuse sin by never naming it. Christians who speak carefully discover that their terminology can bring the Bible directly to bear on their behavior, just by using the right words.

There are two ways to use "irregular verbs" in a story. One reveals a character, the other changes it. "Irregular verbs" are a symptom of hypocrisy, so a little well-chosen dialogue can flesh out that kind of character. Or you can show a character changing over time by taking him through all three stages of speech: first excusing his own behavior, then seeing it more neutrally, and finally calling it what it is--and then turning from it.

While we're crafting how our characters speak, let's take Mr. Beevers' advice and listen to ourselves and the people we love. Good writers should be good listeners. If we want to be better people, let's be better speakers, too.