Okay, so you might be wondering, just what exactly do I mean by the title of this post. I'm sure it sounds a little strange, but let me explain what I mean by the title.
Adverbs = excuses.To start off, what are adverbs? Well, here's the dictionary definition:
"A word or phrase that modifies or qualifies an adjective, verb, or other adverb or a word group, expressing a relation of place, time, circumstance, manner, cause, degree, etc. (e.g., gently, quite, then, there)."
And here it is used in several sentences:
I quickly picked up the stick.
She fell to the ground, faintly hearing his voice.
"Don't do it!" She said loudly.
Now, you might be thinking, "What's wrong with those sentences? They sound perfectly fine to me!" And they aren't necessarily wrong, but there is a better way to write them. Look at the same sentences now, rewritten:
I grabbed the stick.
She fell to the ground, hearing his voice in the distance.
"Don't do it!" She shouted.
Do you see what I mean? Which sentences sound more powerful? Yeah, the second ones. (At least, I hope you said the second set, otherwise you can just stop reading, because I'm probably not gonna be able to get through to you. JK) And in the second set of sentences, I removed the ly adverbs and replaced them with more powerful verbs.
In writing, ly adverbs usually are excuses, or "fluff" in your writing. They tend to keep the writer from really considering their diction, and serve as excuses to write emotion.
However, sometimes adverbs are necessary. And with practice, you will learn to decipher between the adverbs that should stay, and the ones that have a better alternative to them.
For example this sentence:
"I quickly picked up the stick" sounds much better when you rewrite it to this: "I grabbed the stick."
But this sentence: "She fell to the ground, faintly hearing his voice," could really be written both ways.
And that is something, like I said, that comes with practice. But for now, there's an easy way to look out for those pesky adverbs in your writing. When editing, use the search bar (if you have one) and search for LY words. Then, go through the sentences one by one, seeing if you can come up with a way to get rid of the adverb and keep the meaning the same.
Believe me, when I write, I use adverbs also. And it is so easy to use them a lot, almost like a figurative "writer's crutch." But just remember that keeping them to a minimum will improve the professional quality of your writing, and the readability.
So, that's all I have for you today! I'll see you guys next time :)
