About this episode
Denise and Louise talk about adverbs, and how to use or remove them purposefully.
Listen to find out more about:
- What Stephen King said about adverbs
- Adverb use versus adverb abuse
- Definition of an adverb with examples
- Definition of an adverbial phrase with examples
- Adverb red flag #1: the double tell in narrative
- Adverb red flag #2: the double tell in dialogue
- Adverb red flag #3: the double tell in dialogue tags
- Fixes: using stronger verbs and strengthening dialogue
- Why adverbial phrases don’t solve the problem
- Extent of overuse
Editing bites
- How to Write Dazzling Dialogue by James Scott Bell
- Oxford Guide to Plain English by Martin Cutts
Other resources
- Stephen King on Writing: A Memoir of the Craft
Ask us a question
The easiest way to ping us a question is via Facebook Messenger: Visit the podcast's Facebook page and click on the SEND MESSAGE button: http://bit.ly/EditPodFB
Denise and Louise
- Denise Cowle Editorial Services: bit.ly/CowleEditing
- Louise Harnby | Fiction Editor: bit.ly/HarnbyEditing
Music credit
‘Vivacity’ Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
Get every episode summarized
Each time The Editing Podcast publishes, we email you a written briefing from the transcript — the topics, who appeared, and any specific claims, with the ad reads skipped.
Email me new episodesFree for 3 shows. No card needed.
Hosts & guests
No transcript yet
This episode has not been transcribed. Request it and it moves to the front of the queue.
More episodes
More from The Editing Podcast
File management and version control for editorial freelancers
The Editing Podcast
Dealing with editorial scope creep and client boundaries
The Editing Podcast
Building an editing portfolio that converts browsers into buyers
The Editing Podcast
How to use AI tools ethically when editing or proofreading
The Editing Podcast