Thanks for your thoughtful commentary, Gerry. I've been trying to work up something about 'subservient' action but you've said it very well. Not all actions are equal, but description of what's going on helps bring the reader more into the moment and creates an urgency in the writing. Verbs, in whatever form, and modifiers (adverbs, adjectives) need to move the story along. If they slow it down, then they should be dumped. At least that's how I see it.
Jude
