It’s the monthly blog hop/ known as the Insecure Writers Support Group founded by Alex J. Cavanaugh. You’re invited to join if you're a writer, insecure, or just supportive of writers. It happens the first Wednesday of each month, and it would be sweet of you to visit at least a dozen or so new blogs and leave a comment. Your words are appreciated. Our Twitter handle is @TheIWSG and hashtag is #IWSG. Let’s rock the neurotic writing world!
The awesome co-hosts for the August 4 posting of the IWSG are PK Hrezo, Cathrina Constantine, PJ Colando, Kim Lajevardi, and Sandra Cox!
August 4 question - What is your favorite writing craft book? Think of a book that every time you read it you learn something or you are inspired to write or try the new technique. And why?
I’ve read my fair share of books on writing:
Stephen King - On Writing
Strunk and White - The Elements of Style
Dean Koontz - How to Write Best Selling Fiction
Anne Lamott - Bird by Bird
And more.
I’ve learned a lot from them...
And my biggest takeaway is:
I’m glad I’m not an adverb.
Everyone hates adverbs...
Editors hate them...
Agents hate them...
Even famous writers hate them:
I believe the road to hell is paved with adverbs, and I will shout it from the rooftops. To put it another way, they're like dandelions.” Stephen King
"Write with nouns and verbs, not with adjectives and adverbs."Strunk and White
“I am dead to adverbs; they cannot excite me.” Mark Twain.
If adverbs had feelings...
They’d be on antidepressants...
Or suicide watch.
So why were adverbs created anyway?
Especially the “ly” words?
Do readers, notice…or care?
Here’s a factoid:
Hemingway used 80 words ending in “ly” per 10,000 words of prose; JK Rowling uses 140 adverbs per 10,000 words, and EL James uses 155.
I’m guessing readers weren’t counting the “ly” adverbs
While they devoured the stories.
And I don’t think Rowling & James counted the “ly” words
As they skippity do-dahed their way to the bank.
This is my take on adverbs...
If I am writing using the omniscient voice...
I watch my adverbs...
But if I am writing in a character’s voice...
I write the way the character speaks...
And if that includes adverbs, so be it.
So?
Thoughts on adverbs?
Always,
Em-Musing
P.S. Big lizard in my bedroom, scorpion on the floor, electric goes off at 2, sweat like a hog till power's back, Blogger not behaving, Internet acting wonky...Yup, that's why my post is so late. Did I say I love living in the jungle?
12 comments:
Lizard is one thing but hell no to scorpions.
I watch my adverbs now, but apparently they don't bother readers much.
I LOVE adverbs as a reader and as a writer. But as a writer, I am constantly checking to make sure that it isn't just lazy writing. I firmly believe that adverbs serve a purpose as I've demonstrated in this comment. However, sometimes it is easier to tell with an adverb than show without. We have to determine when it is ok to take the easier path and when it is necessary to dig deep and demonstrate what that adverb is trying to tell. Knowing the rules is the best way to break them!
Your blog lives up to the title you gave it: Em-musing. Good pun on 'amusing.'
I write amusing, too, though I usually tell people "I write funny... in every sense of the word" and then watch their faces to see if they detect my punster humor.
My sardonic humor mentor was Art Plotnik, now deceased. He was among the famous Iowa Writers. You report that you like 'The Elements of Style' by Strunk and White, so I must recommend "Spunk and Bite' by Art Plotnik.
I see them but only because I do a lot of editing on DLP's titles.
Excellent point. I try to avoid adverbs in narration too ... but DO use them inn character voice. I find they can add a nice touch in voice. Way i try to remember it is that it's fluff--seeing as that it takes a verb AND an adverb to convey the same message one strong verb will do. It also means putting my thinking cap on more often than not.
oh to be a writer who can break all the rules, eh? :)
Great books, Karen. I like adverbs, but I know they are frowned on. I hope you stay clear of scorpions and big lizards. I would not like living in a jungle ~ LOL!
Ooh, great choices! The Dean Koontz one looks good, I haven't read that one!
I watch my use of adverbs, but sometimes, like you point out, it works better if you use them.
"I'm glad I'm not an adverb." Great line that made me laugh out loud. I, too, am happy not to be an adverb. Love your humor. Beware the scorpion.
All excellent points
Great post!
Dialog and inner voice adverbs don't count, because real people don't sit around thinking up the strongest nouns and verbs possible for everything they're going to say. They don't spend months or years agonizing over every blasted word they're gonna say (usually, an exception to anxiety).
But then why do we turn everything that's "very good" into "delicious" or "scrumptious"? Sometimes meals are better than good, but not actually scrumptious. Oh right, because if it's anything less than something a stronger word could describe, it isn't worth mentioning and the whole scene is gonna get chopped.
I loved this post. It was brilliant. Thanks for the good chuckle. My heart will forever go out to adverbs after reading this.
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