(Was: first and third person singular past of BE.) So says the Oxford American College Dictionary. I just call it lazy writing.

The use of the word "was" is the easy way out from having to actually prime the creative pump and come up with vivid descriptions that treat your readers to verbal delicacies of the story type. It's so disappointing to pick up a highly touted novel only to stumble over five, ten, or twenty uses of that dreadful word "was" within the first three paragraphs.

"Was" is a cheap way to get a description across. For example: "She was short and mean." YAWN! What dreck. Spruce it up a bit, toss some color into the mix. Write it something like this: "Short and squat, this girl; like a gumdrop with limbs--only not as sweet." Description is such a vital key to telling a great story.

Yeah, there are places where "was" is the word that fits. But such places ought to be limited in usage. Never settle just because it fits. Challenge yourself as a writer and you'll likely draw fans to your work. Fans buy books.

And sure, there are a handful of uses of that lazy word in my novel Jazz Baby. But you could probably count them on both hands. Slay those "WAS" monsters and watch your work take on flavors you never tasted before.