The shame!
Jan 9th, 2006 by Sandra
So I’m working my way through the galleys of Dead Reckoning and realize — with horror — that I must have been addicted to adverbs while writing that book.
Not good. I’ve never seen so many -ly words in all my life.
Now, maybe it’s good that my critique group didn’t notice (even the really nitpicky one) so that my use of them is transparent, but you never know. I’m sure there’s some craft guru out there who’ll spank me for them.
Off to count adverbs in the current WIP….
I still don’t get why adverbs are considered verboten in novel writing. As a reader, I never even noticed them. But as I writer, I am so conscious of the rule. Or should I say, “I consciously observe that rule” ?? ;-)
I don’t think it’s adverbs, per se, but the overuse of them that’s the problem. When I use four instances of “carefully” in slightly more than two pages, it’s time to find a new word….
Also, an adverb in narrative suggests that, for me anyway, I’m not working hard enough to find a good verb. If I find a spanking verb, there’s no need to “help it along” with an adverb to further describe the action.
In dialogue, I find that I use an adverb because it’s easier than writing stage direction. Adverbs in dialogue result in my having a lot of “talking head” scenes, which can hardly be a thrill for the reader.
So the periodic adverb is fine, but when I’m leaning on them too hard, I’m being a lazy writer.