Adverbs

Certainly, certainly not. Adverbs can be used when they're really, really needed.

elzoria said:

Is having adverbs in a story wrong? Really, really wrong...

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Not wrong, but dangerous. Sometimes you need an adverb, and when you do, an adverb should be used. But adverbs often signal weak writing, and the most common use of an adverb is to hand a crutch to a weak verb.

Try removing adverbs and modifiers and look at the results. Good writing usually stands up well without help. Weak writing doesn't. If it doesn't stand up, it's usually better to change the writing, rather than trusting an adverb or a modifier to improve it.

If you can eliminate the adverb by using another active, better word, do it. Go ahead and use them, though, especially during first draft. During your rewrites, make sure you examine every adverb and ask them, "Do you have the right to exist?"

Yes. Using adverbs is on a par with selling your first-born to Satan.

I believe in breaking all the writing rules, even the one about not using adverbs.

I guess. I don't actually use them that often but once in a while I think what the heck, I'm going to throw in an adverb just because it's against the rules. There are also times when an adverb might be preferable to some unjustifiably long and awkward "showing" of a simple action or emotion.

I friggin' love adverbs.

trumancoyote said:

I friggin' love adverbs.

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That's just absolutely, positively, incredibly, badly wrong.

janetbellinger said:

I believe in breaking all the writing rules, even the one about not using adverbs.

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What about the rule concerning bad writing? Or the one about not boring the reader? Or, in this case, the one about always using the best word, rather than the wrong two words?

Just write!

Please don't worry about the rules and the DON'Ts. Just write your story so that you can find out whose story it is and what you are trying to say.

Then you can re-write to make the story better. But passive voice and adverbs come way down the re-writing list. Save them for when the story and characters are clear and you need to polish for publication.

Adverbs are mostly weak. You can use them effectively all the same.

Use Adverbs rarely, and for poetic purposes. Never try to make it the backbone word of a sentence.