I agree with all those. I probably go a little far with cutting dialogue tags, and am not strict enough with myself at cutting adverbs (they can be so damn hard to cut, though I agree they are lazy writing).
WOW! I've never done this! Must go look up what an 'adverb' is.
The adverb rule is generally true, but there are only so many 'stronger' verbs to go around in a writer's vocabulary. When we all use them instead of adverbs, we tend to use them repetitiously, which is as bad or worse than the adverbs themselves. Use adverbs judiciously, and use stronger verbs when you can actually think of one that hasn't been so overused it becomes trite. Some adverbs are actually quite lovely!
My use of words get me busted and I need to do better at editing.
I like adverbs but you have to be careful not to overuse them.
I think if you strip too many out you run the risk of making your story sterile, like a triple distilled shot of literature. The flipside is cramming the piece with so many that it ends up fat and fluffy.
Really excellent advice. I use far too many but my editor has been helping me work last that habit. It is difficult for me as i love using adverbs. Ah well, its a foolish man who refuses to accept good advice.
Thanks Jwren for getting me to take a second look at my skills.
Stripping a story of all adverbs would make it sterile even with the use of strong verbs. Of course, overuse of adverbs with weak verbs is also undesirable and the story will lose action. A good balance will make your story more interesting.
Commas are supposed to be used where they are required. You will find more commas in prose than in newspaper and magazine text. That is because prose follows a stricter adherence to grammatical rules. Magazine and newspaper text is written and edited to fit tight space requirements so that they can fit in the advertisements. They go with a minimum of punctuation.
Do not be in a rush when editing and proofing. Having a very competent proofreader/editor is really important for you to get the best story product at completion. Also, when depending upon only yourself, please set it aside for a good length of time so you can later look at it with fresh eyes.
Another suggestion is to download Grammarly or something similar. There are also free websites that will check your grammar and punctuation. On those, you may only be able to do a small portion of your text at a time but still worth using.
Great idea on changing the font! I've never heard of that but will be trying it today.
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Could someone post an example of the adverb / verb thing please. Before and after would help explain.
An example of a weak verb and adverb would be to walk slowly. The combination of walk and slow is considered weak because a six-year-old could write those words.
Instead of describing the walk as slow, consider using a 'stronger' verb which doesn't need a description, like meander or stroll.
One side note: all of the above can depend on the context of the story. In this instance, is it a couple on a beach? In that case, yes, walking is weak as hell. Or, is your protagonist recovering from a car crash that's left him bound to a wheelchair? Possibly walking isn't so weak in that scenario? Probably it still is, but not necessarily if the word resonates with the history of the story. This side note is a better example of the wishy-washy nature of the adverb conundrum - it always depends. Or at least usually ;)
Check out my latest - a humorous collaboration with trinket and a Recommended Read
Giggidy on the rewrite, verbal
Check out my latest - a humorous collaboration with trinket and a Recommended Read