July 1, 2022 – Evil Adverbs

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Evil adverbs haunt our writing if we don’t pay attention to and eliminate them.

As we study books on writing, attend workshops and conferences, and participate in writers’ groups, we learn to avoid adverbs. While not always possible, try to kill the evil adverb darlings. For example: The bomb exploded loudly. Have you ever known a bomb to explode any way but loudly? As a strong verb, exploded needs nothing else. She talked softly. How about She whispered?

Look at one chapter in your current work. Circle, highlight, someway identify every adverb you find. Now, go back and change all or as many as possible. Repeat with other chapters. Feel free to share some of your examples in the comments. If you get stuck, ask for help.

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