Today’s Question: To Have or Not to Have?

As an auxiliary verb combined with a past participle, have forms the perfect, pluperfect, and future perfect tenses, as well as the conditional mood. However, when used to express ownership, it can weaken writing.

Consider a woman in a black dress as she walks down the street. You could describe her in several ways:

She had (on) a black dress.
She owned a black dress.
She paraded a black dress.
She wore a black dress.
She flaunted a black dress.
She modeled a black dress.

Each of the preceding sentences evokes a different image, although the number of words remains static.

Analyze the Following Groups of Sentences

India has more than 300,000 libraries.
India boasts more than 300,000 libraries.
India is blessed with more than 300,000 libraries.

Russia has more than 17,000,000 square kilometers.
Russia encompasses more than 17,000,000 square kilometers.
Russia possesses more than 17,000,000 square kilometers.

Bill had three raw eggs before his jog.
Bill gagged down three raw eggs before his jog.
Bill savored three raw eggs before his jog.

The dog had a bone.
The dog grappled with a bone.
The dog laid claim to a bone.

The doctor had a pen behind his ear.
The doctor carried a pen behind his ear.
The doctor stowed a pen behind his ear.

Is it time to search your work in progress for all appearances of have, has, had, and having? Turn those weak spots into the excerpts that readers quote on their blogs and social media feeds.

Are You Guilty of the Have-Gots?

Josie has got too many books.
Brent had got a failing grade in math.

Ouch. Remember what your teeth feel like when you hear a train’s screeching brakes? My molars are doing the grit-and-shiver routine right now.

Please don’t choose have got — except in dialogue. Stick with one word or the other.

Josie has too many books.
Brent got a failing grade in math.

Better yet, find different verbs.

Josie owns too many books.
Brent received a failing grade in math.

Are You Ready for a Few Ideas You Could Develop Into Stories?

Let’s begin with the previous examples. Why does the narrator think Josie owns too many books? What caused Brent’s failing math grade?

Each of the following groups will begin with a generic sentence using had, accompanied by more interesting versions.

#1

Brenda had a vast collection of dolls.

Brenda hoarded dolls — creepy dolls with malevolent eyes, feral teeth, and missing limbs.

Although the preceding sentence describes Brenda’s dolls, it reveals details about her personality as well.

Brenda collected dolls — sissy dolls with long blonde locks, full eyelashes, and pouting lips.

Same character name, different dolls. Do you see a different Brenda as well?

Brenda’s obsession this year? Dolls. Their beady eyes peered out of glass cases. Seventy-three tiny bodies posed as though they beseeched visitors to release them from their sterile prison.

A key phrase, obsession this year, shows a character who embraces fads.

#2

Chad had eight employees.

Chad ruled over eight employees, his dictator’s voice as sharp as a whip.

The words dictator and whip provide an instantaneous impression, evoking strong mental images even though Chad’s appearance isn’t described.

Chad managed eight employees from an office chair that never breathed fresh air unless he peeled his ponderous butt away to devour a snack from the deli next door.

This Chad comes across as an overeating slacker.

Chad boasted a staff of eight employees who never missed an opportunity to slander and sabotage one another in their quest to please him.

Here we see a Chad with a backstabbing bunch of underlings. The word boasted implies he supports their sabotage.

#3

Kaya had a coffee.

Kaya clenched a huge mug of coffee, knuckles white and jaw set, while she watched the news.

Kaya’s body language shows she’s upset or nervous, probably about something she sees on the news.

With trembling fingers, Kaya clutched her coffee. One sip. Two.

What was that bitter taste?

A bitter taste? Has someone slipped drugs or poison into her brew?

Kaya nurtured her coffee, savoring every noisy slurp, until the last drop disappeared. She stared at the bottom of the cup. Should she call 911, or should she have another coffee first?

Why is Kaya wondering about 911? Has she found a murder victim? Maybe she’s the murderer.

#4

A good time was had by all.

Revelers danced, cheered, and guzzled champagne.

A sentence heavy with tell becomes an example of show. Dancing, cheering, and champagne might indicate a New Year’s Eve celebration or a victory party for a political candidate.

Every guest in the audience left the live-taping with prizes and giant smiles.

Did you see a Dr. Phil or Ellen audience spilling out of the studio?

Marcel grumbled as he cleaned the floor. “Noisemakers, party hats, and barf. Looks like everyone had a great time except me.”

Marcel might be the host, or he could be a disgruntled janitor.

#5

The news broadcast had three anchors.

The three news anchors bickered worse than old fishwives whenever they were off-screen.

Tell becomes more show, but examples of the bickering would make this more engaging for readers.

Every night while Charles bellowed out local news, Andrea shuffled papers, and Dillon yawned.

Body language shows us that Andrea and Dillon may not be thrilled with Charles. Bellowed amplifies the discord.

Three anchors, three points of view, three identical faces. The triplets switched seats every night in a never-ending prank that kept producers and audience alike guessing at their identities.

Now we have a story!

#6

Sara had three options: freeze, jump, or retreat.

In an action scene, brevity works best. The above sentence might work well on its own if prior passages show why Sara faces this predicament. However, brevity can be maintained while providing a more vivid picture.

Sara’s toes stuck out over the narrow ledge two stories above the street. Three options scrolled before her closed eyes: freeze, jump, or retreat.

If the preceding paragraph were the first in a piece, it would set up suspense with just enough details to engage readers.

Two eagles soared below Sara’s precarious perch high above the river. She teetered on the ledge as she checked her parachute. Three options whispered, wraiths in the biting wind, “Freeze, jump, or retreat.”

Fate provided a fourth choice.

What is that fourth choice? Does the ledge crumble? Perhaps Sara faints. Maybe one of the eagles attacks.

This version would work best where word count is not a hindrance.

And Now, the List

Many of the preceding examples expand on ideas rather than provide direct substitutions for have. Replacing every instance is unrealistic, especially in micro fiction.

Scrutinize a few words and phrases you could choose instead.

A
accommodate, accumulate, acquire, adopt, appropriate, assume, attain

B
be adorned with, be blessed with, be born with, be decorated with, be endowed with, be favored with, be in possession of, be possessed of, be privileged with, be the owner of, bear, benefit from, boast, brandish, bring, broadcast, buy

C to E
care for, carry, clasp, cling to, clutch, collect, comprise, conceal, confiscate, consume, contain, contribute, control, convey, cultivate, defend, disclose, display, enclose, encompass, endure, enjoy, exhibit, experience, expose

F to H
fall heir to, feature, flail, flash, flaunt, flourish, garb oneself in, get, get pleasure from, grab, grapple, grasp, grip, handle, hang on to, harbor, haul, hoard, hog, hold, hold on to, hold title to, house

I to O
imprison, include, incorporate, keep, keep hold of, keep possession of, latch onto, lay claim to, look after, maintain, manage, manifest, nurture, obtain, own

P to R
palm, parade, possess, procure, purchase, put on, put on display, put on view, reap the benefit of, retain, reveal, rule

S and T
salt away, secure, seize, show off, sport, squirrel away, stock, stockpile, store, stow, strut, suffer, support, sustain, take hold of, take pleasure in, teem with, transport, trumpet

U to W
undergo, unveil, vaunt, wag, wave, wear