How to Strengthen Your Prose: Don’t Use Adverbs.
If you want to give your prose a bloody nose, kneecap it to keep it from grabbing your reader’s attention and goodwill, use adverbs.
If you want to give your prose a bloody nose, kneecap it and keep it from grabbing your reader’s attention and goodwill, use adverbs.
But if you want your readers to love and respect you, don’t use them!
Adverbs are words that modify verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs. They can be used, but really, you shouldn’t. Worse they are often overused and can make writing sound clunky and unnatural.
OMG, what to do?
In fiction, the overuse of adverbs can be especially detrimental to good prose. This is because adverbs can often be replaced with stronger verbs or adjectives. For example, instead of saying “She spoke slowly,” you could say “She spoke in a deliberate voice.” The second sentence is stronger and doesn’t rely on an adverb to add detail.
In addition to making writing sound clunky, the overuse of adverbs can also make it harder for readers to understand what is happening. This is because adverbs can often be vague and imprecise. For example, the adverb “quickly” can mean a variety of things, such as “promptly,” “efficiently,” or “hastily.” This can make it difficult for readers to know exactly how the character is moving.
The overuse of adverbs can also make writing seem juvenile. This is because adverbs are often used by inexperienced writers who are not yet comfortable or confident of their writing. If you want your writing to sound mature and sophisticated, it is important to avoid using too many adverbs.
How can you weed them out of your manuscript? Some things you can do.
- First, search your document for anything that ends in “ly”. Most adverbs do and this offers a quick check.
- Take them out. Be brave and remove the adverb. Does the text sound stronger? If yes, good, you’re done.
- If not, find an elegant solution while avoiding using an adverb.
- You’re not sure, fine. Ask a trusted friend, a colleague, or your writing group to read your work and give you some feedback on your use of adverbs.
- Try out some variants with your new ‘trusted friend’, AIs are great for testing out ideas.
By following these tips, you can avoid the overuse of adverbs in your writing and improve the quality of your prose.
Flex your writing muscles:
Look at those horrible examples of adverbs below! I bet you could improve on each one of them. So, if you feel like it, drop a line in the comments with your improved and adverb free version.
“He walked quickly to the door.” vs “He strode” or “He sprinted.”
– Added bonus: 2 words instead of 6.
“She looked at him suspiciously.” vs “She scrutinized him.”
– Added bonus: 3 words instead of 5.
“He spoke loudly.” vs “He shouted” or “He yelled.”
– Added bonus: 2 words instead of 3.
