I have taken at least two or three elementary level writing classes. In them we were told,

“Use Adverbs everywhere! I can’t get enough adverbs! ADVERBS ADVERBS ADVERBS. THEY’RE YOUR BEST FRIEND.”

Since then they have peppered my writing in an annoying amount. And only recently I have curbed the instinc to use them everywhere. Simpler adverbs like

• besides
• certainly
• consequently
• elsewhere
• finally
• furthermore
• however
• in fact
• instead
• likewise
• meanwhile
• nevertheless
• nonetheless

They’re not really the problem. The problem is when someone writes something like this:

Andrea really wanted that pretty necklace. It had red sparkly gems, and it moved freely on the model’s neck. Andrea begrudgingly walked away, sighing heavily as she trudged sadly away.

STOP THIS. Here’s a rewrite.

Andrea looked at the model and her desire for the necklace grew. The red gems studded in the necklace sparkled in the spotlights. It jostled on the model’s neck, swinging gracefully from side to side. Andrea sighed, turned and walked away.

I used TWO adverbs and look how much better it looks.

Adverbs are very useful! They can describe words very easily, and sometimes just fit in perfectly. The huge problem for these types of Adverbs (commonly referred to as -ly Adverbs), is that they’re used too often in beginners’ writing and no one ever bothers to correct them. That’s what happened to me until a few months ago when I was reading the internet about how annoying the Adverb is.

The beginner gets into the habit of using -ly as an escape. I can’t find a strong adjective…*inserts -ly*

“I believe the road to hell is paved with adverbs, and I will shout it from the rooftops. To put it another way, they’re like dandelions. If you have one in your lawn, it looks pretty and unique. If you fail to root it out, however, you find five the next day… fifty the day after that… and then, my brothers and sisters, your lawn is totally, completely, and profligately covered with dandelions. By then you see them for the weeds they really are, but by then it’s — GASP!! — too late.” Stephen King

Honestly, I see it this way:

Adverbs are like salt. Use them sparingly to add flavor to your writing. Don’t overuse them or they become just too much and you want to throw up. Experiment with real salt on your french fries. This happens. Hope this helps you absolutely avoid frequently using Adverbs frivolously.