Throughout this semester while writing my blog posts I have been reading “How to Write with Flair” by Dr. Heather Holleman where she discusses 5 overarching strategies to help improve writing skills and create much more exciting and dynamic text. While all of the strategies in this text have been extremely helpful to my writing, I found that two of the chapters stand above the rest in elevating my writing from before. Those sections include; Choosing a verb with flair and garnishing it with wordplay.
Before the section about choosing verbs with flair, I would often write sentences with the dreaded list of boring verbs, which often resulted in my writing being as stale as week-old bread. While those words would get the message across it would be at the sacrifice of making the text more engaging. I had learned many verbs to use and not to use, what I found most valuable from the text was understanding the full importance of verbs. At the end of the chapter, the author stresses verbs’ importance of being the “flavor” in texts and understanding that it helps me to use verbs that effectively get the message across while not focusing too hard on making them overly complex to the point where they confuse the structure of the sentence.
While verbs are considered the, learning to garnish with wordplay gave my writing the kick it needed. Whether it be puns or figures of speech learning to use these strategies helps grab attention more than anything else. This has even been proven scientifically with it being found that wordplay heavily engages the Broca part of the brain. 
While all of these strategies have been extremely helpful to my writing they can only be so useful separated. What makes all of the strategies mentioned in the text effective is not each element on its own but how to incorporate with one another to strengthen each other. By creating wordplay with creative verbs it can make it much more effective than had I used verbs from that list of boring verbs.
Great blog post! I agree with you that using strong verbs helps engage the audience in an effective way. Strengthening word play makes the reader feel included and establishes a connection with the audience. Your reference to the Broca part of the brain was especially interesting to me since this helped me understand why certain writing techniques work. I also think it is important to create rapport with the audience and find a common ground. How did you find new verbs to include in your writing? Did you utilize “How to Write with Flair” or do you have any other sources you could recommend?
I think it’s really cool how you found how messing with your wordplay and garnishing your writing choices can affect someone’s brain. The fact that changing up writing can bring more joy to someone, is something that I didn’t know was possible. One thing I liked from Chapter 4 was the use of self-answering questions, as they can be funny, and now knowing how it can affect the brain, I can use them even better.
I learned the Broca’s area in my psychology class! It is so cool to see that showed up in business class! I agree with you that it is important to incorporate all the strategies in our writing instead of using them separately. I guess my question to you is how to stay conscious when you write, and how would you remind yourself of the verb usage to not be boring?