Here is an exercise Natalie Goldberg uses in her book "Writing Down The Bones." It's about the importance of strong verbs and paying attention to the ones you use when writing.

Fold a sheet of paper in half the long way. Then down the left side of the page, make a list of any ten nouns. Now think of an occupation. And in the right hand column list fifteen verbs that go with that job. Then open up the sheet and join the nouns and the verbs to see what combinations you get and finish the sentences. Here is her example:

Dinosaurs marinate in the earth.
The fiddles boiled the air with their music.
The lilacs sliced the sky into purple.

(She then reiterates the importance of using verbs in fresh ways.)