: Re: Am I overusing the words "started" and "began?" Rika nodded to the person, and closing her eyes, she blew out the candles, making the room return to its original darkness. Applause

@Samaraweera193

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Short answer: they are not overused.

Long answer: consider that to the reader, the things you are describing will sound like that have only just started happening as they read.

In other words, at first only the camera is shaking. Eri thinks some. There is a noise. Then the plates and glasses shake. Then someone screams. There is conversation. Then everyone panics. Then people run. Then the chandelier begins dropping its crystals.

In other words, the shaking slowly works its way up to being more dramatic. More and more things start shaking.

This seems wrong to me. Eri might have time to think and there might be a pause while the audience is stunned, but everything ought to be shaking by the time someone is screaming "earthquake!" (which indicates that people are already panicking) and stuff should already be falling. It doesn't seem like there ought to be time to talk about what was wished for, etc. before people start running.

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