Guest Blog Post

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adverbs, Commas, Corey M.P., Grammar, Guest Blog Post, intensifiers, Verbs, writers, writing, writing tips

To my utter delight, I was invited by Corey at Corey M.P. to do a guest post. It came out today and you can check it out at Writing Tip #11: Moldy Verbs, Adverbs, and Intensifiers.

The prompt she gave me was “Writing Tips,” so I rummaged in my bag-o-writing tips to see what I could come up with. It isn’t an actual bag. It is a notebook filled with scratching and musings. Do you have one of these?

I considered writing about my nasty habit of overusing commas. Since I am not an expert in commas, hence the overuse problem, I avoided the topic. Effect/Affect was tossed out with the trash because the proper usage makes me stumble and I avoid using the words all together. I do consider myself a quasi-expert on moldy verbs, adverbs, and intensifiers because I spent a great deal of time editing them OUT of my novel.

Thanks again Corey for the opportunity to do a guest post. It was fun!

A well-placed comma is a beautiful thing.

 

Strong vs Weak Words ~ Adverbs

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adverbs, intensifiers, John R. Trimble, Strong vs Weak Words, Strong Words, Weak Words

You would have thought that somewhere along the way, I would have heard this advice. No high school or college English teacher ever mentioned it to me. It is a simple warning. Adverbs and intensifying words weaken sentences. Here is an example:

OK:  Her purse was very small.

I get it, she had a tiny purse.

WAY BETTER: Her purse was miniscule.

Doesn’t that paint a better picture of a purse the size of a pea pod? In the example above, “miniscule” is a stronger word than “small.”

I learned this tip in John R. Trimble’s book Writing with Style, Conversations on the Art of Writing, an excellent resource for anyone who writes anything from an email to a novel. Being a diligent researcher, I discovered that many others have given the same advice. Where have I been?

Here is an example of weak “ly” adverb use:

OK: When she quietly entered the room, she annoyingly startled me.

WAY BETTER: She crept into the room like a burglar and I jumped like a startled cat.

Do you know anyone who can loudly creep…? Er, creep like a gorilla? Creep implies quiet. Isn’t being startled annoying?

Worse than the lowly adverb is the use of multiple intensifiers. I really, really, really hate that. Oops, I mean I abhor that!

Granted, a well-placed adverb has its place, but searching my writing for “ly” words and very, really, extremely, terribly, and the like made it much better.

Thanks very much Professor Trimble! Or rather I should say, my undying gratitude…