I'm one of those writers who tends to overwrite in the first draft and cut, cut, cut in later versions. For the next few posts, I'll take a look at things I look for in--and cut from--my manuscript during rewrites. First up to bat? The dreaded adverb...Adverbs: Although the occasional adverb can spice up a paragraph quite nicely (grin,) my writing can do without most of them. Whenever I find an adverb, I ask myself two questions. First, does it tell the reader anything new? For ex:
"Screw you!" she said angrily.
Does "angrily" add to the scene? I think not. The words and exclamation point speak for themselves! If I wanted, I could use a stronger verb to make my point:
"Screw you," she hissed/grated/yelled/laughed.
If I decide that the adverb DOES give the reader new information, my next question is whether I can convey that information by choosing a stronger verb. For ex:
She sat on the sofa wearily.
This gets the point across--but I can make the same point by using a stronger verb:
She collapsed/sprawled/slumped on the sofa.
Each verb brings its own nuances of tone and meaning to the paragraph, painting a slightly different picture.
Rewriting gets easier--and better--with practice, just like most aspects of writing. I like that. Of course, it means that I've just added one of my books back onto my rewrite list. When I took another look at it, I realized that I've learned a bit more about chopping since its last revision! Oh, well....
:) Cheryl
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