Admonishing Adverbs
Perhaps it is for the best.
Every day I comb through my list of other writers, checking for new entries to entice and inspire, or just to catch up. Today I read Paul Ford's entry "The Passivator" where he notes that writers do well to avoid adverbs whenever possible. This disturbed me, as I am fond of adverbs. (Stylistically) speaking, they are everpresent in my writing. How else is one to (effectively) describe one's verbs?
Granted, he uses the qualifier whenever possible; a blanket, subjective overlay to cover many competing interpretations. My mind jumps (immediately) to the extreme interpretation: good writers avoid adverbs. Perhaps it is more reasonable to understand it as: good writers axe unneccessary additional verb descriptors.
I've read no books nor atteneded seminars on how one should go about writing fiction; my informal research into the craft has been steeped in the varying styles of the books I have read, and more recently, in the collections presented within the publications of McSweeney's Quarterly Concern. (Unfortunately) I fear that this sudden attention to the adverb will punctuate my reading and writing experiences for some time yet. Perhaps it is for the best.
I'll try it, anyway.