In Defense of the Much Disparaged Adverbs and Adjectives
I’m revising, and I’m on an adverb/adjective (AA) search and destroy mission. Goal: To win the hearts and minds of the other words and sentences in my Book Two.
But wait, that one-size fits all approach approach didn’t work in Southeast Asia forty years ago, and; guess what? It doesn’t work with thoughtful, selective revision today. So, like my headless friend–who obviously ran into yesterday’s scary clown–I’m an a mission to Save the Adverbs…or some of them.
I recently read a blog authored by a writing contest judge that said she’d just read several–five I think–contest entries. Each entry observed all the rules of, “How to write a Novel” –including elimination of AAs. Her reaction? The entries were devoid of life and individuality. She attributed that to the scarcity of AAs. Hmmmm. How about that, Sports Fans? There’s a different take. In my revision work I found that she’s correct. Delete too many AAs and your prose is dry…or, better yet, awfully dry.
Last week I posted about the Adverb Eliminator. It’s turned out to be a great little macro, easy to use and effective. If you’ve not tired it, you may want to do so. Using it, I’ve found that many AAs can be cut with no loss of context meaning or effect. None. Some—no—many AAs, are truly junk words that slip into exposition because they occur to us without thought, we use them and no one notices. Only when we move to the written word, do they become problematic.
However, I’ve also found that you can’t declare war on all AAs and execute them all SIMPLY because they’re a disparaged species. In some places you just flat need those descriptors and modifiers. Yes, you can try to use more sparkling words and standalone dynamics. Sometimes that will work. But many times, an AA avoidance rewrite results in one of two things: stilted, purple-prose, or wordiness. I found that every now and then a good old “quickly,” or “innocently,” or some “otherly” type word is a simple, clean, and word saving device to communicate and describe the action without falling into excessive word use, or twisted, cumbersome syntax.
I’m thinking adverbs and adjectives have a place in the English language, and by extension, in writing. After all, if we didn’t need them, they wouldn’t be in common usage. They wouldn’t sound so normal to our ear. Which also means, they sound normal in dialogue. So, in dialogue particularLY, don’t be afraid to sprinkle them about. It’s the way we talk.
Now, before Patricia Stoltey comes banging on my front door with the AA death squad in tow; let me equivocate. As with ice cream, or cherry pie, or some other high carb, high fat, high calorie food, you gotta use discretion. If you’re not selective, your prose will be bloated, overweight, and without a date for the big dance. So, belly-up to the desert counter. Help yourself . . . just don’t overdo.
Hey, Donna, is it time for my ice cream???
Themocracy
Great point, Galen. Like everything else, it’s only bad if we overindulge.
Glad to see your blog up and running!
Elizabeth
Mystery Writing is Murder
I love the picture of Patricia
I agree with Elizabeth, everything in moderation. Thanks for posting the link to the software again, I’ll have to check it out.
Thanks for this post, Galen. Like eating yummy desserts, the use of AA’s made me feel guilty. I feel better now knowing that an occasional sprinkle of use is okay.
Ha, I like your goal — you crack me up. You changed the blog yet again! I like the new look. Great color.
I will willingly and yet somewhat begrudgingly admit that in the most seldom of cases nicely inserting an adorable adverb or adjective can be carefully done with tasty appropriateness. That being carefully said, I honestly think that randomly inserted AA’s are an indicator of hopelessly lazy and very weak writing, Marvin said slyly.
Mark Twain advised writers, (I’m paraphrasing) “Whenever you feel the urge to type the word ‘very,’ type ‘damn’ instead. Your editor will delete all of them and then your book will read exactly as it should.”
The Old Silly
Hey ps – did you lose the twitter addy thingy in your comments sign in box when you blew up your blog?
Good post Galen. If we totally eliminate adverbs or adjectives, we just create some other problem. I, for one, do not need more problems.
Helen
Straight From Hel
I very muchly like your sparkly, shiny, fancy, flashy new blogsite. You’ve done it prettily!
(You know, maybe I should lay off the A/As for a while. I’m feeling a little queasy.)
*searches for ‘likes’ button*
This is such a fabulous point. CONFLUENCE was originally 200K words, so upon hearing I had to significantly shorten it, this AA search and destroy was an obvious necessary path. Unfortunely, when one of my writing group friends reread, she said “this doesn’t sound like YOU anymore”. Hmph…
I think when you lose an adverb and then CHANGE the verb so no meaning is lost, you are okay, but th personality loss is a darned shame.
This is great advice,Galen. Thank you kindly.
Karen
What a terrific post! Adverbs can be tricky blighters – too few and there’s no taste; too many and it’s too spicy to consume! Thank you for the reminder that ‘a bit’ is not ‘too much’. I shall indulge in a small helping of adverbs…and maybe some ice cream!
Love this post as I used to drive myself nuts with following all the so-called rules and I know now that it’s ok to put some of those adverbs and adjectives in along with the thats and justs and all those other little words:) Whew–now I can go back to writing.
I, Elizabeth am the king of overindulged, so, I gotta be really careful. Yeah, it’s almost back to life.
Hey, Carolyn. I’ve got some other great software posts you may haven’t seen. Let me know if it’s something you care about and I can arrange for an Individual showing! They deal with a writing tool, PowerWriter, a computer security program..Rohos, and Supernote cards…I think I have them if they weren’t blown up with my blog this weekend. If not, I can point you to their web sites. (Two words, I keep forgetting.)
Well, Jane, be careful about taking my advice, as you know, I’ve made a career out of being wrong. But, seems like you should be able to get away with a few well placed ones.
Hi, Alexis, well, I’ve always wanted to embed it in my website, which I managed to do after blowing it up. It looks kinda the same. The photos in the header auto rotate, maybe that makes it looked different each time. The last blog I had, was cool looking, but buggy. What happened with your change to WP.org? If you’re looking for a theme, try the Themocracy web site, they make this one and one with JavaScript menu’s that’s pretty cool.
I very much like that Twain quotation, too, Marv. No, the Twitter thing should be there, but, maybe it escaped my attention during repair…I’ll check.
You are my kind of editor, Helen!
Hey, Alan, No, go ahead and indulge, Adverbs, like alcohol are great for your attitude. By the way, I’ve been trashing you on Jack’s blog. Just sayin’…
Hart, great to see you again. And, I’m doubly pleased because you like my content. Man, doesn’t get any better than that! I feel your pain. I’m trying to cut words from my finished WIP…is there such a thing, and it’s hurtful and hard, but, i gotta admit, it makes for a better read. Keep at it kiddo!
You’re most welcome, Karen.
Elspeth, you are a clever writer and nice person. Good comment. Yes, have some Ice cream. As we discussed on Hart’s blog, don’t fail to take some digressions.
Yes, it’s okay as far as I can see, Terri. But, there are purists who will not allow any and use more than two as a reason to be critical, or, reject. Gotta ignore those folks. We gotta try to live by most of the rules, but bend ‘em or break ‘em where needed. It’s just the fabric of life.
Special thanks to you all for stopping by. Galen.
I like the post, Galen. So many of these “accepted” truths about writing aren’t as simple as some would have the rest of us believe. No adverbs, show don’t tell, send all royalty checks to Alan Orloff…after awhile they just become platitudinal. Thanks for standing up and giving a different viewpoint. Good stuff.
Awesome post Galen, and so accurate. Sometimes our adverbs are what help our voice come through. There are times when they are appropriate, as long as we realize they don’t all need to come to the party.
Hey Galen! I definitely adverbs/adjectives have their place….the place is just very very teeny, tiny.
Hey – what’s up with the angry face next to my name?? That dude is pyscho looking! Makes me laugh.
I love this blog. I’m learning so much already in just a couple of visits.
Hey, Jack, Orloff needs money like God needs religion. The guy is loaded! If you catch my drift…har, har.
Hi, Eric, yeah, it seems like moderation is the key. But, that’s a far cry from extermination, as some purist seem to propose. I’m with you, though, we need just a few.
Yo, Katie, Your that little monster face needs a friend, too. If you don’t love him, who will??
Julee, you are the best. How good does my ego feel. Yeah, baby! Now, If I could just learn a few things. I see your blog addy is in your name line. I’ll add you to my roll if that’s okay.
Galen, you know far more than me – which really isn’t that much of a compliment when you consider how little I know. LOL. I don’t know if I left the blog addy or not, but here you be:
http://procrastinationcorner.wordpress.com/
Feel free to stop in and tell me how clueless I am any old time. Mi casa su casa and all that good stuff
Jack and Galen,
“…send all royalty checks to Alan Orloff…”
Some rules really are rules and should be obeyed at all, um, costs
Alan, you never disapoint!!! You da man! Costs! ha. Jack won’t get it.
Great post Galen. There are so many rules and “should do’s” to keep in mind when writing, but when push comes to shove, it’s all subjective. I agree with the consensus – moderation is the rule to live by.
Nancy, from Realms of Thought…
Love the post, Galen.
AA elimination is fine, but sometimes people tend to go overboard with it.
If you really think about it, being able to articulate adverbs and adjectives is really what distinguishes us as humans (a monkey would be able to articulate ‘female’, but can it comprehend ‘beautiful’ female?). If you do away with them altogether, are you still You?
Moderation, as you say, IS the key.
Thanks again,
Natasha
It is god to have things of all sorts written out and not with bad wording or sentence. Adding spice to words can make them more of a truth or fact out the sentence.