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Avoiding Adverbs and Cliches
- Thread starter A. E. Lowan
- Start date
I really avoid adverbs and cliches like the plague.
Also, keep a healthy sense of what it is you're trying to accomplish, and how. The idea that you can never use an adverb is silly, of course, but because they are often signs of weak writing, it is worthwhile to pay special attention to them, particularly if they show up a lot in your writing.
SeverinR
Valar Lord
I remember the speeches from the Comadant of "Police academy".
They were really, really, very bad.
And info-mercials are full of them too. Look at an info-mercial, they use so many words that have no meaning.
"...really exceptionally easy ", "Amazingly", "greatest",
They were really, really, very bad.
And info-mercials are full of them too. Look at an info-mercial, they use so many words that have no meaning.
"...really exceptionally easy ", "Amazingly", "greatest",
This article was so helpful, thank you aelowan! I'm scarce with the use of adverbs, pretty much only bringing them in with dialogue or for those special times when I just can't say it any other way. Far as cliches go, one of my favorite things is twisting them 'round and 'round until something cool comes out of my mind. 
KRHolbrook
Journeyman
When I first started out reviewing other peoples' work, I would always look for all the 'ly' adverbs by using the find tool. If there were a lot of them, I'd point them out. If there weren't much I wouldn't bother with saying much on it. Looking back at the first book I'd ever started writing, there are tons of adverbs in the sentences. Reading it makes me cringe, because it was written so many years ago when I didn't know much on writing, I just wrote.
With cliches, I like to play around with them. I'll take a cliche and twist it to my liking.
With cliches, I like to play around with them. I'll take a cliche and twist it to my liking.
Guru Coyote
Shadow Lord
Far as cliches go, one of my favorite things is twisting them 'round and 'round until something cool comes out of my mind.
I call that Figurative Origami
And yes, currently I'm going over the top in a nutshell with it.
duelingsith
Apprentice
Can you give some examples of how you "twist" cliches?
Guru Coyote
Shadow Lord
An example for twisting a cliche?
Let's see... How about the classic "get sympathy scene"... the Main Character is shown to pet a dog right at the start of a story (movie). This is a cliche, and thus no longer really used.
Twisting it would mean... building up a very similar scene, the main character sees a cute dog... wants to pet it... and get's bitten in the hand. Or something other, unexpected.
An example from Men In Black might be the scene where they are looking for one of the aline informants and we see a large man with his dog. The large man looks odd, but the young MIB addresses him... then the dog answers in English, because he is the actual informant/alien.
Let's see... How about the classic "get sympathy scene"... the Main Character is shown to pet a dog right at the start of a story (movie). This is a cliche, and thus no longer really used.
Twisting it would mean... building up a very similar scene, the main character sees a cute dog... wants to pet it... and get's bitten in the hand. Or something other, unexpected.
An example from Men In Black might be the scene where they are looking for one of the aline informants and we see a large man with his dog. The large man looks odd, but the young MIB addresses him... then the dog answers in English, because he is the actual informant/alien.
Mythopoet
Dark Lord
Avoiding adverbs and cliches...
is overrated and unnecessary. The average reader doesn't even notice them unless it's something really egregious like "puzzledly".
is overrated and unnecessary. The average reader doesn't even notice them unless it's something really egregious like "puzzledly".
Abbas-Al-Morim
Mystagogue
Just checked my writing for adverbs. On about 600 words I count 6 (using the find tool). I don't know if that's considered a lot. I don't think so anyway.
BWFoster78
Mythic Scribe
Most of the time, adverbs and clichés are a sign of weak writing. While the average reader isn't likely specifically to notice a particular usage, they absolutely will notice weak writing.
I consider it a symptom, not the disease. Don't worry so much about eliminating all adverbs and clichés as much as about improving your writing.
I have to agree with BWF. I don't like a lot of adverbs being used. It's just the style I've grown into. In my opinion, overuse saps power and energy from writing. They are weak modifiers & descriptors, more often than not. Further, I find that most adverbs tend to tell rather than show. Therefore, it's often a place where writing can be strengthened if adverb use is minimal. One thing I can't stand is when an adverb is used to modify the speech tag said...like "he said sadly." In my view, that's just lazy writing.
Your right though Mythopoet, most readers won't notice heavy adverb use. However, they may not get as immersed in the story as they potentially could, they might find it boring and bland...or as Brian said "weak".
I'm not talking about banning the use of adverbs outright. Sometimes it is the right choice. Occasionally an adverb may add something to a sentence. Too often though, they're relied upon to do the work where strong, powerful, & concrete description would deliver greater impact. In my opinion, if an author can train themselves to write without adverbs they're far ahead of the game because...guess what? They're going to creep into the writing anyway without the author's conscious knowledge. My personal goal on intentionally using adverbs during a draft is 1 in 500 words.
Your right though Mythopoet, most readers won't notice heavy adverb use. However, they may not get as immersed in the story as they potentially could, they might find it boring and bland...or as Brian said "weak".
I'm not talking about banning the use of adverbs outright. Sometimes it is the right choice. Occasionally an adverb may add something to a sentence. Too often though, they're relied upon to do the work where strong, powerful, & concrete description would deliver greater impact. In my opinion, if an author can train themselves to write without adverbs they're far ahead of the game because...guess what? They're going to creep into the writing anyway without the author's conscious knowledge. My personal goal on intentionally using adverbs during a draft is 1 in 500 words.
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My personal opinion is write with as many adverbs as you want...during the first draft. If that helps you in anyway, it's better to use adverbs than sit there with a thesaurus or wrack your brain trying to think of the best verb. Then once you're finished, go back and find any adverbs that set your teeth on edge. I used to be "no adverbs" guy, but I can see that a lot of published, successful writers use them. I would say err on the side of not using them when you can.
I actually did a good exercise in a workshop one time. This doesn't only include adverbs, but just extra words in general. I had to write an exact word count for each section of a story I was writing. When you have to write 100 words, you tend to be more careful with word choice. I think that helped cut out a lot of unnecessary words that might have been used otherwise.
I actually did a good exercise in a workshop one time. This doesn't only include adverbs, but just extra words in general. I had to write an exact word count for each section of a story I was writing. When you have to write 100 words, you tend to be more careful with word choice. I think that helped cut out a lot of unnecessary words that might have been used otherwise.
Guru Coyote
Shadow Lord
I can whole-heartily recommend the wonderfully useful exercise Phil so nicely recommends. (hehe)
Trying to squeeze any story into 100 words is really going to make you THINK about the words you use. Re-reading my recent Iron Pen entry... I do get the feeling that I might be cutting out too many words at times though.
Trying to squeeze any story into 100 words is really going to make you THINK about the words you use. Re-reading my recent Iron Pen entry... I do get the feeling that I might be cutting out too many words at times though.
Firekeeper
Lore Master
What exactly is wrong with adverbs? I've never had any real training with writing, other that the general English course in college, so I'm genuinely curious. If you try to publish, will editors notice this and disapprove?
BWFoster78
Mythic Scribe
Editors are, in general, very anti-adverb.
The concept is that, if you need to use an adverb to describe your verb, you didn't choose a very good verb. For example:
I spoke softly.
Softly describes the verb spoke.
If I write instead:
I muttered.
It conveys much the same thing but is considered stronger because I (A) used a better verb (mutter instead of spoke) and (B) used fewer words.
Hope this helps!
Brian
Guru Coyote
Shadow Lord
Overly excessive use of useless adverse is simply a absolutely sure sign for very poorly constructed writing, or so the scholarly saying goes (and this sentence is intentionally constructed to contain them).
If the writer DOES use them intentionally, and does that for a reason, there is nothing wrong at all with adverbs.
It is simply one of the 'golden rules' you are given when beginning creative writing. Others would be "show, don't tell," "avoid passive voice" etc.
Publishers - or rather their slush-pile readers - will scan a story for some of the telltale signs and might decide not to even read a submission if it has them... In that sense, yes, you should avoid adverbs if you want to be published. BUT the real reason simply is style and clarity of your prose. Adverbs - or raher excessive use of them - is as others have said here already, a symptom most of the time, not the real issue.
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Firekeeper
Lore Master
Ugh....so much stuff to know!!
Now I have to go back and scan my works for adverbs. Never noticed them before, so was never on the lookout to avoid their use. I should have taken that creative writing course when I was in college....
Now I have to go back and scan my works for adverbs. Never noticed them before, so was never on the lookout to avoid their use. I should have taken that creative writing course when I was in college....
BWFoster78
Mythic Scribe
I put all my stuff through Pro Writing Aid (it's free). One of the sections highlights all your adverbs. This helps point them out to you. After a while, you'll start noticing them more and avoid using them in the first place.