and Fire coming up. To start us off, here's a funny quote (paraphrase) from her recent author reading at the Harvard Bookstore.Kristin Cashore: Some people say that adverbs are bad in writing. I think that's a stupid rule. If used correctly, adverbs can be a really useful tool--
Audience member interrupts: How useful?
Hehe.
How do you feel about adverbs?
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I try not to use adverbs...I'd rather find a stronger verb! There again, there are clearly situations where an adverb is more pertinent...it's just identifying said situations that can be tricky!
ReplyDeleteI refuse to be elitist when it comes to parts of speech. These days it's: verb, Action Verb, STRONGER VERB! Whether a story or a C.V., it feels like the words are being shoved down my throat at times. I think we forget, sometimes, that writing isn't just a craft--it can be an art.
ReplyDeleteA writer eschewing adverbs is a lot like a painter sneering at orange. Sure, you can make a pretty picture, but some of the depth is lost.
The adverbs in the book I just finished reading annoyed the heck out of me -- but it might just be a bad translation (from Spanish). Have you read The City of the Beasts by Isabel Allende?
ReplyDeleteBeata -- No, never read it. What annoyed you about the adverbs? Too many of them?
ReplyDeleteI can handle a few adverbs, but I much prefer stronger verbs. In a few cases, though, they do enhance the writing :)
ReplyDeleteI don't think there's anything wrong with adverbs and adjectives- they're just out of style (and have been for quite some time) and so they're jarring. How can there be a 'wrong' category of words? I think the problem is sometimes writers think bc they can describe something, they should and it distracts from the real story.
ReplyDeleteThe old rule that one should "write with nouns and verbs, not with adjectives and adverbs" comes down to this: adjectives and adverbs are modifiers. Helper words. Why are they used? Something needs help. The noun or verb is too imprecise and the writer tacks on additional modifiers to try to make it what it should be. This works against succinctness. And it erodes the quality of diction. Writers with weak vocabularies rely more on adverbs and adjectives than do writers with strong vocabularies. The verb is the heart of the sentence. When it is precise, descriptive, and evocative, the sentence lights up.
ReplyDeleteJesse Mullins
jessemullins.com
I think if the text flows, most people won't worry either way.
ReplyDeleteI don't really think about this, personally; I write what seems like the correct sequence of words, and revise it later if it sounds wrong. But then, I do enough Part-of-Speech Tagging in my academic life! I don't enjoy thinking about my writing in those terms.
I write a lot of short statements, on Twitter and other posts. I also write really fast (sorry) on these posts. I find that as a pure brain dump I am less prepared to scrutinize my writing. Every word in the dictionary, including slang and adverbs, has a place in good writing.
ReplyDeleteI think of adverbs the same way I do cayenne pepper. Add a little and it's deliciously tangy -- nouns and verbs on their own can get bland and newspapery. Add too much, though, and it's inedible/unreadable.
ReplyDeleteThe tricky part with both adverbs and pepper is, of course, that everyone's taste is different (though arguably we all know when it's just too much).
With a skilled writer anything is possible-convince your audience; that's all you have to do. So, if a writer convinces his/her audience and uses adverbs, then the job's well done....but, whenever the reader "Notices" the writer's words more than the writer's world(story) that has been created, then that's when the words are in the way....did I just make sense *laugh*
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ReplyDeleteAnonymous 1/8/2010 5:14. Thank you for your comment. I have a comment policy that people who refer to specific comments made by others cannot comment anonymously. You are more than welcome to repost your comment if you sign your name. Thank you for your understanding.
ReplyDeleteHi Livia,
ReplyDeleteWe have a question for you on my blog. We're talking about writers' workspaces, and it's come up that some of us can't write facing a wall (although some writers, like Annie Dillard, say they can't concentrate if they have something interesting to look at).
Do you have any insight for us on how the brain processes sight in three dimensions and any effect that might have upon imagination?
Thanks!
Victoria