The Writer’s Worst Enemy…is the Editor’s Best Friend

Adverbs are a writer’s worst enemy but an editor’s best friend.

In his memoir On Writing, Stephen King famously states, “The road to hell is paved with adverbs.”

Why so harsh?

Because overusing adverbs makes for dull writing. Not to mention, they’re kind of lazy.

This has earned adverbs a bad rap as an enemy to writers. But you know what?

Adverbs serve a purpose. They are great “red flags” for an editor to help the writer improve their work.

So whether you’re a writer transforming your first draft into a second draft…or the editor tasked with refining the text, hone in on the adverbs—and replace them with more dynamic writing. For example:

First draft: He stomped around very noisily upstairs for nearly ten minutes.

Second draft: He stomped around upstairs for ten minutes. Each heavy step shook the ceiling.

When you edit, get excited when you see an adverb. It’s an invitation to ask, “How can this sentence be better?”

Find the adverbs. Find the improvements.

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