Sad Mr. Adverb

Sad Mr. Adverb is so very sad

Seems he's been labelled crazy and mad 

By whom? you might ask, and rightfully too  

By Them, you'd be told, them in the blue

They say don't use him, not any ole way

He's not fit for language, requiem, or play 

Well, if that be true, then give him the boot 

For new writers know nothin,' and old writers toot moot 

[Haha, I know! Don't quit my day job and take up poetry writing.]

THEY have been telling us to cut adverbs for so long that the rule is now a norm. Why? Because too many writers use adverbs to modify the wrong word. Or they use ambiguous adverbs that tell us nothing. It's become easier to say, "Don't use them," then to illustrate their proper use. 

"And when he spoke, his words came slowly and softly." The Legend of Devil's Creek. D.C. Alexander.  

"She gave a sharp cry of realization just as hands, which she had noticed specifically for their size and strength, caught her upper arm from behind." Mean Streak, Sandra Brown.  

She had just enough time to recognize the heavy hammer she sometimes used to [...] It was in his hands [...]." Dead Wood, Dan Ames 

"When I sit up I do it slowly, blinking heavily. There is a sour taste in my mouth [...]" Follow the Crow, B.B. Griffith. 

"It was a vision of hell. A dismally foggy day over stinking heaps of refuse—" Book of Shadows, Alexandra Sokoloff.

"Reidinger's face was terribly young and unlined, but his brown eyes [...]." The Angel of Zin, Clifford Irving. 

"[...] Jack had said something else to him, too quietly for Wendy to hear, and Tom had only shaken his head sullenly [...]." The Shining, Stephen King. 

"It's difficult to come out on top when everyone is your enemy. Fortunately for us, we aren't at that point yet." Dragon of the Stars, Alex J. Cavanaugh. [Some would argue that out in this case is an adverb. I'll leave that decision for the wordsmiths]

When used correctly, adverbs convey something important and even powerful for the reader. They add rhythm to your prose. They're the reason your reader turns the page; they add something vital to the plot. They don't glob up your sentences. Learn how to use them effectively and I promise your writing will become stronger. 


By the way, @TheIWSG is now on twitter. 

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How to be a Good Critique Partner

A good critique partner can be as hard to find as a rare diamond. Once found, it’s all important to hold onto them. The best way of doing this is to be a good critique partner in return. Anyone can read a manuscript and offer an opinion, but a good critique partner does a little more, thinks a little deeper than the average reader. Below are some tips on how to be a good critique partner.

1. Respect the author and the manuscript. Before delving in, remind yourself that the manuscript you’re looking over isn’t your story and neither is it likely to be written in your voice. While you’ll only ever have your opinion, it helps if you are able to approach the manuscript not as a general reader, but from the writer’s point of view, attempting to see what the writer is trying to express through their work. Rather than offering what you think should be portrayed in the words, try to work out what you think the writer is trying to portray and then, based on that, offer your opinion.

2. Tread lightly. Treading lightly is especially important with relatively new writers or writers who have never experienced a critique before. Be mindful that the writer is a real person with real feelings and their manuscript is often their precious baby they have entrusted into your hands. Your valid opinions will have a greater chance of being heard if they are delivered in a thoughtful manner.

3. Avoid assumptions. If you happen to spot a broken writing rule, don’t assume the writer made a mistake. Perhaps the writer broke the rule on purpose. Ask yourself what the author was trying to convey. Did the author achieve their goal? Don’t make assumptions about the characters either. Perhaps the author has a grand plan in mind which will be revealed later in the text.

4. Offer concise comments. When you make a comment or change the text, make sure you clearly communicate the reason. If it’s about personal taste, then it helps to offer why. This gives the author a chance to see where you are coming from, to get to the heart of the issue. The author knows the manuscript far better than you do, so what you think might be the issue, may only be a pointer to the actual problem.

5. Offer suggestions. If you do see a problem, your job isn’t done once you’ve pointed it out. It’s especially helpful to the writer to hear possible suggestions on how to fix the problem. The writer may not follow those suggestions, but they might inspire a whole new solution. Hearing the suggestions might also give the writer a greater insight into the problem.

6. You are a critique partner, not an editor. You may not have the same vision for the piece as the writer, but that shouldn’t get in the way of your job, which is working within the bounds of the writer’s vision. If you can see a path that’s different, by all means share it, but make sure you justify your reasons for the suggestion otherwise the writer could be left in the dark as to why you feel a change would be appropriate.

7. On Grammar. If you are going to correct the writer’s grammar, please make sure you have checked the rules first. Too often I’ve seen critique partners ‘correct’ already correct grammar. And if you are the writer who has been critiqued, always double check the grammar that’s been corrected. Don’t assume your critique partner is right.

8. Follow instructions. Sometimes a writer is after a specific kind of critique. They might not be after all that little stuff like sentence construction, rule hunting, or even grammar. They might have just finished a messy first draft and needs someone to cast their eye over the bigger devices such as the general plot, the pace, the character arcs. If you then offer observations on the little details, you are wasting both your time and the writer’s.

9. Praising what works is as important as spotting what doesn’t. This is not about stroking the writer’s ego, or softening the blow for a later critique. It’s helpful to know what is working in the manuscript. It can often bring insight into the reader where the writer couldn’t see before.

10. Return the manuscript in a timely manner. The best critique partners are fast workers, but not everyone has the time to churn out a carefully considered collection of comments. This is fine, so it helps if you can agree how long the critique might take. If you are delayed, then let the writer know. If you are a slower critiquer, then it also helps to return portions of the manuscript at a time so the writer isn’t waiting around for the full finished piece. This way the writer can start working on the first part while you continue to critique the next part.

What do you look for in a good critique partner? If you are looking for a partner, then don’t forget the IWSG Critique Circle on Facebook.


Lynda R. Young

Insecure and Proud! / IWSG Day

It’s time for another group posting of the Insecure Writer’s Support Group! Time to release our fears to the world – or offer encouragement to those who are feeling neurotic. If you’d like to join us, click on the tab above and sign up. We post the first Wednesday of every month and encourage everyone to visit at least a dozen new blogs and leave a comment. Your words might be the encouragement someone needs.

The awesome co-hosts today are Stephen Tremp, Fundy Blue, MJ Fifield, Loni Townsend, Bish Denham, Susan Gourley, and Stephanie Faris.

Hey, everyone! Chrys Fey here. This is my first time posting on our site for IWSG Day and I am thrilled. I have a motivational post for you today. :)

Many of you may know the motto “Mutant and Proud” from X-Men: First Class.

Well, I think our motto should be “Insecure and Proud!”

“Insecurity has always been defined as a negative emotion, yet it can be a motor, a driving force. ‘I’m insecure, but I’m going to work harder to be better’ . . . an insecure person is always striving for perfection.” – Sylvia Browne

Insecurity feels as though it is negative because it comes from us thinking we’re inadequate.

We aren’t good enough.

We don’t know enough. 

We don’t write enough.

We aren’t published yet.

But these insecurities come out of a good place...passion. If you weren’t passionate then you wouldn’t be insecure. You wouldn’t worry that you’re not good enough. You wouldn’t strive to be better. You wouldn’t have dreams of where you hope to go with your writing.

The fact we’re insecure means we care. We care about this beautiful and often cruel publishing business. We care about our characters. We care with every fiber of our insecure bodies.

And that is good.

No, that is great!

Embrace whatever insecurity you are feeling, because it means you’re dedicated. Because it means everything in the world to you to one day publish or write the story of your dreams. Because writing is who you are, and without it you would be lost.

As you work through your insecurity, you’ll grow. You’ll get better. That is what an insecurity is supposed to do if you handle it correctly and don’t let it defeat you.

So say it with me and say it like you mean it...

INSECURE AND PROUD!

***

NOW OUT!

Parallels: Felix Was Here

An Insecure Writer’s Support Group Anthology

Enter the realm of parallel universes!

What if the government tried to create the perfect utopia? Could a society linked to a supercomputer survive on its own? Do our reflections control secret lives on the other side of the mirror? Can one moment split a person’s world forever?

Exploring the fantastic, ten authors offer incredible visions and captivating tales of diverse reality. Featuring the talents of L. G. Keltner, Crystal Collier, Hart Johnson, Cherie Reich, Sandra Cox, Yolanda Renee, Melanie Schulz, Sylvia Ney, Michael Abayomi, and Tamara Narayan.

Hand-picked by a panel of agents and authors, these ten tales will expand your imagination and twist the tropes of science fiction. Step through the portal and enter another dimension!

PRINT LINKS:

Amazon / Barnes & Noble 

DIGITAL LINKS:

ITunes / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo

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