Adverbs: How many is too many?

I wouldn't limit yourself to anything like that, especially not if you're working on a big project. Just write what you think sounds good. If you are reading what you write aloud and it sounds a little wordy take something out. But I don't think it's necessary to focus on something like numbers.

Remember that some people like plump sentences. Consider your audience and yourself! Good luck!

I second DarkDesireX. Just write. Edit later. Rules and guidelines are supposed to help your work not hinder it. If you start questioning how many this or that can you or should have you will be frozen in fear and uncertainty. Heck, go ahead and use five adverbs to start with and then edit down to the best of the litter if that works for you.
Happy writing!

Grand_Maester said:

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Ok, so write first, edit later. Even when using adverbs profusely (that's one of my favorite adverbs )

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Precisely.

83.

caw

blacbird said:

83.

caw

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Shouldn't that be 42? though I guess it depends on the genre you're writing.

Harry Potter books have loads of adverbs! So it really depends on what you are writing. If you think you cannot express the same idea otherwise just leave it

Just write. When you go back to revise, if you don't like an adverb, take it out! If you do, don't. It's really up to you, I think. There are times, definitely, when NOT using an adverb sounds awkward, at least, IMO.

These discussions tempt me to write a story with as many adverbs as I can fit in. It would be awesome to see the responses.

Grand_Maester said:

as writing is such an art,

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There's your answer! This is an art, not a science. Express yourself through your writing. If you feel that you rely on adverbs too heavily right now, that's a valuable self-critique and will give you some great opportunities to develop your craft by finding other ways to express the same ideas, but without adverbs. Try a more unusual or forceful verb, or even an adjective. Take some risks with sentence structure and narrative voice. Play around a little and see what you like and what you hate.

A writing draft is an underpainting on a canvas. It's the chance you have to experiment, play, rearrange your composition. It doesn't need to be good. It just needs to be a foundation for what you'll create later, when you rework your canvas.

So try a page or two without any adverbs. Try a page or two with just a few. Try a page with as many adverbs as you can cram in. Forget about them, and move along. When you come back for edits and rewriting, read them critically and decide what you like and don't like about each one.

C.M.C. said:

These discussions tempt me to write a story with as many adverbs as I can fit in. It would be awesome to see the responses.

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Wouldn't that basically be Twilight?

ba-dum, ching!