Adverbs

To continue my thread of inside-the-Electric-Spec-editor's-head (gasp!) tips: watch out for adverbs. We've actually blogged about adverbs before, but who looks at the blog archives, right? :)

I am not totally against adverbs, myself. [I can't speak for Dave, though!] But, rarely are adverbs a good idea in fiction. But, seriously. :)

The worst is adverbs with dialog tags, e.g. "Give it to me," he said fiercely. I have seen quite a few adverbs this week in my readings. You guys are better than that! I recommend searching for "ly" in your stories. If the adverb is with a verb, think about replacing adverbs + weak verbs by strong verbs. If it's in a dialog tag, replace the dialog tag with body language/facial expressions, e.g. "Give it to me." He bared his teeth.

Quick, send us some more (low adverb) stories before the Aug. 7 deadline!