I have been reading about pros and cons of using adverbs. Erick Emert says that “using “ly” ending adverbs is BAD WRITING for fiction writers.” His reasons to avoid using adverbs make sense. MyEnglishTeacher.net on the other hand, suggests adding adverbs to make the writing more interesting.
I use adverbs. To see how frequently I do so, I checked a chapter. In it, I used the “ly” form twenty times in 2121 words. That is 1% usage. Is that too many? I don’t know, but I will examine each occurrence to determine if there is a leaner way of creating the picture in the reader’s mind.
As a technical writer, I did not use adverbs. In the first draft of Women of the Way, I attempted to “show the story vs. telling the story”, by adding the “ly” scoundrels. I now realize that I must be more disciplined and use lean and powerful words. Kim H. Peres advises, “The fewer words you use, the more powerful your sentences are.” I don’t want sloppy prose to be a turnoff for my readers; I want good prose that engages the reader. To write powerfully, I must select powerful words. This will be my goal in the rewrite.
