Comments on: To Adverb or Not to Adverb http://www.povbootcamp.com/to-adverb-or-not-to-adverb/ Helping you whip flabby novel manuscripts into shape Tue, 15 Nov 2011 22:17:01 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1 By: Andrea Graham http://www.povbootcamp.com/to-adverb-or-not-to-adverb/comment-page-1/#comment-70 Andrea Graham Mon, 11 Oct 2010 20:40:45 +0000 http://www.povbootcamp.com/?p=181#comment-70 You're welcome, Carol. One of the dangers of critique groups is sometimes misunderstanding gets spread. Often, attempts to explain this to newer writers unintentionally communicate "adverbs are evil. Kill them all!" And the excited young writer expertly repeats "kill them all!" in every critique she writes. When asked, "why does this published book have any adverbs?" She also expertly repeats something else she was told, "it's a double standard." While best sellers don't have the same rules we do, it's presumed they don't need them anymore. In reality, laziness is at the root. It's easier to boil down an expert's teaching to, "kill them all!" and simply remove all adverbs than it is to understand why an adverb is often, but not always, not the best word choice and use stronger verbs and show rather than tell. You’re welcome, Carol. One of the dangers of critique groups is sometimes misunderstanding gets spread. Often, attempts to explain this to newer writers unintentionally communicate “adverbs are evil. Kill them all!” And the excited young writer expertly repeats “kill them all!” in every critique she writes. When asked, “why does this published book have any adverbs?” She also expertly repeats something else she was told, “it’s a double standard.” While best sellers don’t have the same rules we do, it’s presumed they don’t need them anymore. In reality, laziness is at the root. It’s easier to boil down an expert’s teaching to, “kill them all!” and simply remove all adverbs than it is to understand why an adverb is often, but not always, not the best word choice and use stronger verbs and show rather than tell.

]]> By: Carol Parsons http://www.povbootcamp.com/to-adverb-or-not-to-adverb/comment-page-1/#comment-69 Carol Parsons Mon, 11 Oct 2010 20:02:10 +0000 http://www.povbootcamp.com/?p=181#comment-69 Andrea, Many thanks for the succinct rendering of why editors are put out with adverbs. It would help new writers if editors took the time to explain this reasoning to editor wannabes, who only see the adverb and automatically kill it. I was beginning to lose all faith in editors for deleting an important part of the English language. This puts it back in perspective, as well as giving me some specifics to look for within my own manuscripts. Thanks! Carol Andrea,
Many thanks for the succinct rendering of why editors are put out with adverbs. It would help new writers if editors took the time to explain this reasoning to editor wannabes, who only see the adverb and automatically kill it.

I was beginning to lose all faith in editors for deleting an important part of the English language. This puts it back in perspective, as well as giving me some specifics to look for within my own manuscripts.

Thanks!
Carol

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