People

Sentences without people are lifeless.

Sometimes the people that should be there are replaced by something called a concept noun. They suck the life out of your work.

Take these sentences for example:

• Incredulous laughter is the common reaction
• Childhood memories are sources of great joy
• The education of children is paramount
• All consuming grief follows the death of a loved one
• Unwavering trust is important for a long marriage
  
  

Now let’s add people:

• Most people laugh in disbelief
• We remember childhood with great joy
• We must educate our children
• We grieve when a loved one dies
• You have to trust your partner for a long marriage
  
  

To avoid lifeless copy, keep it full of people doing things. The concept noun is forced to become a verb when you add people.
 

• Incredulous laughter = To laugh
• Childhood memories = To remember
• The education of children = To educate
• All consuming grief = To grieve
• Unwavering trust = To trust

Because people relate to people, not concepts. The concept is abstract. By making the people obvious you're grounding the sentence in reality, making the emotion concrete.

You'll awaken the hearts of your readers, clarify the abstract, and bring your sentences to life, if you have people do things.