Do you want to know what to do with adverbs? I’ll tell you.
Ditch them. Trash them. Toss them overboard and watch them sink without trace. Rip them to shreds and trample their pitiful remains into the ground. Don’t ask why. Just do it. I’ll wait …
Have you done it? Good. Now start seeking out alternatives. Instead of writing Alice ran quickly, think hard about how Alice actually looked when she took to her heels. Did she sprint? Did she scuttle? Did she dash, or gallop, or scamper? Perhaps she darted, or maybe she bolted. There’s even a chance she skedaddled. Whatever it was Alice did, it’s up to you to tell us, using the most vivid language you can muster.
As you embark on your search for the best possible verb, you may feel the urge to consult a thesaurus. That’s fine. Don’t be embarrassed. Whatever gets the job done. But don’t get carried away, and never, ever, choose a word simply because you think it sounds clever.
Choose it because it’s right.
Have you made your choice? Good. Do you see how vibrant your writing has suddenly become? You’ve probably achieved a new level of precision, too. You may even have made it more concise. Three miracles for the price of one. How can this be? Because every word counts.
Unless it’s an adverb.
If you’ve got as many questions as I have about the craft of creative writing, you’ll know how important it is to try out new things. The more you learn, the more you feel in need of lessons. Every day, as they say, is a school day. That’s what my Writer’s Alphabet is all about. It’s not a dictionary of answers, more a lexicon of suggestions. Some of the ideas are my own, some are based on nuggets of wisdom I’ve picked up along the way, borrowed from people far smarter than myself. It’s not a list of rules (rules are made to be broken, right?). But it might give you a nudge in the right direction, just when you need it.
Graham Edwards – Author & Journalist 