Those Lovely Adverbs

While I was discovering my inner-writer this summer, I learned a few things. Like how addicting youtube can be when you're suffering writers block. Do yourself a favor, unplug the internet when trying to create your next literary masterpiece.
The perils of youtube aside, the most important thing I learned involved adverbs. Yes, adverbs. Now some of you geniuses might know this interesting tidbit I'm about to reveal, but most beginning writers don't. I didn't.
Adverbs can be dangerous tools when writing. They are tempting to use. I can think of about five places I've wanted to put them in the last five minutes. But you must restrain yourself. You will thank me later. Your writing will be stronger without them.
Now that doesn't mean adverbs are completely off limits. They have their use. Just make sure you use them in moderation. Also check to make sure it is the right adverb. They can be used to set the tone and therefore must be looked at with the utmost care.
One last thing, beware of the exclamation point. They can be overused and tacky. Allow yourself one out of every 50,000 word. Okay, that might be an exaggeration. But nonetheless, use them sparingly.

Jude