hear hear! There are billions of strong, more accurate words to capture your readers -- even if you have to invent them. A character this week "rocketed" down nine flights of stairs. If she had run rapidly down those stairs, I would have been less impressed with myself. ha ha ha! Sharron at 🌿Leaves
Agreed! Adverbs can be lazy. It's the decree that all adverbs shall be stricken from the record that I rail against. Sometimes, they are the perfect words!
I’m with Meg, adverbs are absolutely necessary, especially in YA fiction. I avoid them in dialogue tags, and use them judiciously in my narrative, but dialogue necessitates the use of many filler and taboo/crutch phrases.
Definitely, dialogue is a whole different beast. Humans use adverbs conversationally, so to cut them out of your dialogue, too...
...which now that I think of it, that may be part of the reason Hemingway's characters seem so stilted when they talk. They all talk like Hemingway writes. (Funny that...)
Now, about adverbs ... I'm of the "less is more" school. I know that my writing is a lot more punchy without them, BUT, sometimes they are needed and there's nothing more irritating than reading a piece where the author has 'obviously' gone through contortions to eliminate the little buggers. So use with care, and especially in dialogue tags. I find adverbs unnecessary and in-you-face in dialogue tags. Chop them off!
Thanks for the compliment -- glad you like the new format! I was nervous about changing it because I did like the previous format, too. But shaking it up is never a bad thing, when done right. People seem to like it!
Yes, I think we're mostly on the same page. I almost never use them in dialogue tags -- only in very specific circumstances. Usually, they're a lazy way to convey a nuanced thought. When I catch one, I either cut it out or describe the scene or character's mannerisms in a way that conveys what I wanted to say with the adverb. It usually results in more words, but also a deeper, less generic, and more precise description.
I completely agree! (See what I did there?) Writing should be clear, precise, and nuanced. Sometimes adverbs are the only or best way to write with clarity, precision, and nuance.
(Not sure if that's an adverb or an interjection or both... Where's "Schoolhouse Rock" when you need it!)
This clear, precise writing is one of the things I'm working on in my own writing. I love to write purple flights of fancy. I'm coming to learn that not everyone loves to read them though... I'm looking for the happy middle.
hear hear! There are billions of strong, more accurate words to capture your readers -- even if you have to invent them. A character this week "rocketed" down nine flights of stairs. If she had run rapidly down those stairs, I would have been less impressed with myself. ha ha ha! Sharron at 🌿Leaves
lol - I tried running slowly once. Didn't take...!
When a writer reaches for "ran quickly," it's a confession that "ran" isn't doing the work. Better to find the precise verb: sprinted, bolted, tore.
Agreed! Adverbs can be lazy. It's the decree that all adverbs shall be stricken from the record that I rail against. Sometimes, they are the perfect words!
Thanks for the insights!
I’m with Meg, adverbs are absolutely necessary, especially in YA fiction. I avoid them in dialogue tags, and use them judiciously in my narrative, but dialogue necessitates the use of many filler and taboo/crutch phrases.
Yes -- definitely leave them in dialogue!
I'm obsessed with adverbs and no one can convince me not to be. I use them CONSTANTLY.
I write YA fiction and to write teen talk AUTHENTICALLY one must allow for adverb use. I mean, SERIOUSLY. TOTALLY. Amirite?
ALSO ... adverbs are how I create rhythm in my sentences! Sondheim gets this.
And lastly, adverbs play very NICELY with humor, mystery, satire ...
"The man ate his hamburger" does nothing for me.
"The man ate his hamburger ... diabolically." Now that's a sentence I can ABSOLUTELY sink my teeth into. 😊
lol - those diabolic hamburger eaters!
Definitely, dialogue is a whole different beast. Humans use adverbs conversationally, so to cut them out of your dialogue, too...
...which now that I think of it, that may be part of the reason Hemingway's characters seem so stilted when they talk. They all talk like Hemingway writes. (Funny that...)
Love the new format, Graham!
Now, about adverbs ... I'm of the "less is more" school. I know that my writing is a lot more punchy without them, BUT, sometimes they are needed and there's nothing more irritating than reading a piece where the author has 'obviously' gone through contortions to eliminate the little buggers. So use with care, and especially in dialogue tags. I find adverbs unnecessary and in-you-face in dialogue tags. Chop them off!
Thanks for the compliment -- glad you like the new format! I was nervous about changing it because I did like the previous format, too. But shaking it up is never a bad thing, when done right. People seem to like it!
Yes, I think we're mostly on the same page. I almost never use them in dialogue tags -- only in very specific circumstances. Usually, they're a lazy way to convey a nuanced thought. When I catch one, I either cut it out or describe the scene or character's mannerisms in a way that conveys what I wanted to say with the adverb. It usually results in more words, but also a deeper, less generic, and more precise description.
I completely agree! (See what I did there?) Writing should be clear, precise, and nuanced. Sometimes adverbs are the only or best way to write with clarity, precision, and nuance.
Exactly!
(Not sure if that's an adverb or an interjection or both... Where's "Schoolhouse Rock" when you need it!)
This clear, precise writing is one of the things I'm working on in my own writing. I love to write purple flights of fancy. I'm coming to learn that not everyone loves to read them though... I'm looking for the happy middle.
Solid advice. Or is it just advice? No wait, that’s an adjective, it gets to stay.
lol - now, if it was "solidly adviceful", that would be a different story! (Though it would still get to stay, in my estimation...)
Oh Graham, I so wish I had come up with “solidly adviceful!” That’s classic.
Take it! It's yours.