Substitute “damn” every time you’re inclined to write “very;” your editor will delete it and the writing will be just as it should be. ~Mark Twain
Avoid using adverbs in your writing. Or at least try to. If something is very pretty it’s beautiful, if you are extremely scared you’re petrified. I depend on my desk references when I start overusing adverbs. A good thesaurus and my Flip Dictionary by Barbara Ann Kipfer, Ph. D. are my best friends. Or I could say my companion, ally, chum, cohort, sidekick.
I also love Dawn Smit Miller’s Rainbow Editing which I bought at the Pikes Peak Writer’s Conference last year. It’s a beneficial tool when you’re at the editing/revising stage. I tend to use very a lot, so I might just take Mr. Twain’s advice. You might have noticed my new Google ads, in my quest to become self-sufficient as a writer I’m trying it out; I am hoping they will at least pay for my monthly Internet connection. You know what to do, thanks in advance. I won’t bore you with the details.Hopefully something I write here will spark your need to use the google search. Today, write a paragraph or a page using your thesaurus or an online reference. Now get back to work!
Lovingly,
The Writing Nag