Adverbs
Don’t Suck
Yes,
repeat it. Adverbs don’t suck. They are necessary words for writers.
Somewhere
along the line, they got a bad rap. Just like anything else in the world, you
can’t say always and never.
Adverbs
are needed to express and elaborate sentiments. If only verbs and adjectives were used, it’d be difficult to get the
message across to the reader.
Adverbs
should be used correctly and with
purpose. Overuse of an adverb reduces the impact and can be telling. Nothing
wrong with telling. We, as authors, can’t always show. It loses quality when
it’s not a combination of show and tell.
How
do you know if you can keep the adverb in a sentence or delete it?
Let’s
go back to:
If
only verbs and adjectives were used,
it’d be difficult to get the message across to the reader.
Take
out the only.
If
verbs and adjectives were used, it’d be difficult to get the message across to
the reader.
It
doesn’t sound right, and doesn’t work. It changes the whole meaning of the
sentence.
Surely,
this doesn’t always work.
Take
out surely.
This doesn’t always work.
Take
out always.
This doesn’t work.
Hm,
taking out the always lost its impact. Which is why you, the author, need to
hear it and read it. Listen to the rhythm of the sentence.
I
had someone ask me years ago to explain adverbs and why they were so bad to use
in writing. He never knew how to use them. I told him, if used properly,
adverbs were the frosting on the cake. The cake being the verb or adjective. They
enhance the sentence and the story.
Cards
on the table, excessive use of adverbs is discouraged.
Sometimes
I believe educators tend to make things out to be harder than they are, or
perhaps they don’t have a complete understanding so they skip over it. They
cover the absolutes, the comparatives, superlatives, and conjunctives. They’ll
throw in a few explanations on how to distinguish them from adjectives and
teach where they belong in the sentence.
The
student ends up confused, and less likely to use the words properly.
Placement
of an adverb affects meaning:
He
started drinking after he fell again.
He
started drinking again after he fell.
The
police dog barked ferociously at my neighbor. (Okay)
The
police dog ferociously barked at my neighbor. (Better)
Let’s
talk about enhancing so the reader understands the importance of a particular
action.
My
cousin played the guitar at my daughter’s wedding.
He
started playing at the age of five. When he plays his songs, he gets the
audience to join in and sing with him. Many people come to hear him perform.
My
cousin played the guitar beautifully at my daughter’s wedding.
He
started playing quite early, at the age of five. When he plays his songs
onstage, he always gets the audience to join in and sing along with him. Many
people often come to hear him perform.
Enhancement
is the key. If the word isn’t needed, then take it out. However, sometimes
adverbs are essential for that added oomph.
Don’t
be afraid to use adverbs. Honestly, they don’t suck.
Just
be cautious. Moderation is the key.
Have
fun experimenting with those lovely adverbs.
This book’s for you. My whole point of writing it is to help all authors. I’ve had many established authors, aspiring authors, and WIP authors ask me a multitude of questions and I was more than happy to help. (WIP-work in progress) I took the most commonly asked questions and solutions and put them in a nifty, absolutely priceless book.
What you’ll find in Be More Successful with Marketing and AdvertiZING:
Social Media Marketing and AdvertiZING for Books or Any Business
Becoming a Bestseller
Saying NO and Being the Bad Guy
How to Write Incredible Click Enticing Promotions
Promoting Your Book With or Without a Publisher
How Much is That Advertisement in the Window?
Self-publishing Doesn’t Have to be a Disaster
How to Make Your Website Awesome
Taking the Plunge into Publishing Audio Books
How to Make More Sales at Book Signings
The Uniform of Success
Purchase Be More Successful with Marketing and AdvertiZING at your favorite bookstore or on Amazon.
E-Book $4.99
Paperback $9.99
Thank you for taking the time to read this.
You can find me:
Amazon.com/Pamela-Ackerson/e/B00QY1ARI4
Wondering what my qualifications are? Don't want to get any advice from someone who doesn't know what they're talking about? I understand! There are too many people out there giving bad advice.
The first thing I'm going to tell you is that the book industry is constantly changing and even the "experts" have to keep their ears to the ground to stay in the game!
Okay, so...Here goes.
I'm President of Marketing and Advertising for AdC Magazine. Affaire de Coeur Book Review Magazine has been in business since 1980. No small potatoes there! We've managed to survive all the ups and downs in the industry. www.adcmagazine.com
I'm an award-winning, Wall Street Journal, Amazon and Barnes and Noble bestselling author. I've been a published author since 1972. Yup, you read that right. My 10th grade high school teacher entered my sci-fi short story in the Science Fiction Reader's Digest Contest and I took first place. I continued to write and publish short stories for several years after that.
A short break--which felt like forever--in 1996 I finished my first novel. I was picked up by a publisher two years later and I haven't stopped since.
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