This was a mass killing.
I am officially an adverb destroyer: 3500 massacred adverbs and adjectives. All in one (!) book.
Unbelievable, right? How could 3500 adverbs and adjectives hide so well? Alright, they hadn't hidden; I had allowed them to be there. Never again.
Oh, there was also a bunch of unnecessary conjunctions. Destroyed them, too!
Stephen King's "On Writing" had taught me to avoid adverbs. That book should not be missed by aspiring authors. While I can't say it's the best book on writing I have ever read (I like Elizabeth George's "Write Away," and Francine Prose's "Reading Like a Writer" more), King's "On Writing" does an important job. It tells you to avoid adverbs.
But one or two adverbs are a necessity, thought I, the scene, the actions come to life! Yeah, one or two. But 3500?!
The wisdom of the day: adverbs do not bleed; chop them off. And if you kill a dozen of adjectives and conjunctions at the same time, your book will only be happier. I know mine is :)
Hold on, Book 2, you are next!
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