Adverbicide

[scfirenice]

How many are too many. On several agents web sites cautionary statements against the use of adverbs can be found. So, how many are too many and when is it Okay to leave them? I have obliterated most of them, but a few... managed to survive the delete button.
S

[reph]

It's only a guideline, a corrective to excessive use of adverbs, which makes for weak writing. Often, replacing a lukewarm verb plus an adverb with a stronger, more expressive verb will improve a sentence. Adverbs aren't poison; you have to use your judgment.

[AdamH]

There's no set rule as to how many is too many but if you feel there's too many, there probably are. There's nothing wrong with using an adverb. But it should be used more as a garnish to the main dish of your novel (sorry just ate a great supper). For example, why use "walk slowly" when you could use "saunter" or "stroll"?

[Mistook]

adverbs and adjectives are like curse words. The less often you use them, the more power they have when you do let one fly.