Warning: This post contains adverbs!
When I attended my first ACFW writing conference nearly a decade ago, I was surprised by the writing “rules” for authors. One of the key rules? No adverbs! We were advised that if we positively must have them, then we should use them sparingly and only when absolutely necessary. Granted, I could eliminate the adverbs in that last sentence and its meaning would be clear, but I like adverbs. I mean, I really like them! Perhaps because of that “rule,” and because my early draft manuscripts were peppered with adverbs, I’ve always held an affinity for them.
