11 May 2026·3 min read
When an adverb helps, and when it doesn’t
Before cutting an adverb, look at the job it’s doing.
Sometimes an adverb adds information the sentence needs. Sometimes it props up a vague verb or explains dialogue that could carry the feeling on its own.
Look at the whole sentence before cutting. “Walked slowly” may suit the voice perfectly. “Said angrily” may be unnecessary if the line already makes the anger clear.
The exercise that teaches it
Take two pages and, in a copy, remove the adjectives and adverbs. Read the result.
Then restore the ones you miss. The exercise can help you hear which words add meaning or rhythm and which repeat something already there.
Keep the choices that suit the voice
Repetition and accumulation can be part of a voice. A narrator who qualifies everything may be showing us how they think.
Ask what the word adds in this particular sentence. Keep it if the passage works better with it.
Read more
These books explore the ideas in more detail, with examples you can try in your own work.
Steering the Craft · Ursula K. Le Guin
Exercises in sound, rhythm, point of view and other choices in prose.
On Writing · Stephen King
A memoir of writing alongside advice on drafting and revision.
Stein on Writing · Sol Stein
Practical guidance on revision, with exercises to try on a draft.
For feedback on your own draft, Karlove offers a letter with examples from your pages, reviewed by Aksel before it's sent.
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