A Writer's Enemy?

If you want to alarm or vex a writer, mention the word “adverbs.” It’s almost guaranteed to provoke a reaction, usually along the lines of wide eyes or an instinctive reach for the Delete key.

Adverbs are the enemy. They must be eradicated!

But I’m not so sure. I’m reasonably certain I can think of a few that aren’t evil.

There are some adverbs you’ll almost always want to avoid: happily, sadly, angrily, excitedly, etc. Emotion should be conveyed by the verb and/or the circumstances. If Smith is down on his knees with his head in his hands, I don’t need to tell you that he’s going to speak sadly. If he’s pumping both fists in the air, I think you’ll know he’s happy without me telling you that.

Let’s face it, adverbs are like anything else in writing: you should use them judiciously and in moderation.

Sometimes they can make a big difference. Let’s consider our friend Smith.

Smith knew her.

Smith knew her instantly.

^ Do you see the difference there? In the first sentence, the relationship is vague and there’s no real indication of any emotion we should feel or what’s happening. In the second sentence, you can feel a little tension: something has happened that makes Smith’s knowledge of her identity important. Whether he saw through her disguise or just stumbled upon her body, it’s more significant that he knows her.

Smith shambled (or stumbled, or shuffled).

Smith walked unsteadily.

^ This one’s a little less clear-cut. The first sentence is perfectly fine and uses the verb to tell you how Smith was moving. This is preferable when you can find the right verb. Verbs are a writer's friend, as long as you don’t stretch too far to use something like peregrinated. You don’t want to confuse the reader. I also like the second sentence because there are subtle differences in how someone walks and none of the verbs was exactly right. This is a matter of personal preference. You’ll know which works better for your particular sentence.

My point is that adverbs are not the evil plague that some writers claim. You want to minimize them, but using a few of them won’t make you a terrible writer.

Besides, if you use Word’s Find function to seek out and destroy all words that include ly, you might accidentally wipe out burly or fly or lyric, so be careful!

If an adverb works, use it deliberately and proudly.

Grateful

Since I write my blog on Saturday (or sometimes Sunday) and Thanksgiving is on Thursday, I will take this opportunity to wish you a very happy Thanksgiving. Whether you are traveling or staying home, spending it with others or alone, eating a lot of turkey or not, I hope yours will be enjoyable. Please take at least a few moments to remember the reason for the holiday: to reflect on what we are thankful for, what makes our lives worthwhile, what is special to each of us.

For me, the first is family. I am so grateful to have a strong family with plenty of love and care for each other, and with minimal drama. My husband is part of that family and I'm so grateful to him for helping me make our marriage work (even when it has seemed like work, which hasn't been very often).

After that comes writing. I'm so thankful that I can get so much joy out of something that can sometimes seem so simple (although it sure doesn't when I'm staring at a blank screen with a blank mind). When I feel an emotion or witness a beautiful sight, when I want to work through a problem or I want to connect with a fictional person, writing is there for me. I can't imagine life without it.

This was emphasized for me recently when I was stuck on a scene for the next novel, The Other Side. I wrestled with that scene for weeks! I just couldn't make it work and it was starting to frustrate me. I wondered if I needed to eliminate or completely rework the scene. Then, the other day, something simple happened: the people I take my break with at work were unavailable and I found myself walking alone in the main hallway. At first I was a little disappointed to be alone. I was a little self-conscious, too. But after a few minutes, I let my mind wander. It's usually a good combination: a little exercise and the ability to daydream. Before I realized it, I'd solved the problem of the scene. (Note to self: find more time to let mind wander aimlessly, because you never know what it will discover.)

I'm also grateful for my friends, my job, my country (even with all of its problems, I wouldn't want to live anywhere else), the beautiful Earth, and all the people along the way who have taken a moment or two to smile at me, speak pleasantly or brighten my day in any way, big or small.

Last but not least, I've got to say it: I'm grateful that the Cubs won NL Rookie of the Year, NL Manager of the Year, and the NL Cy Young Award! Go, Cubs!!

Have a wonderful holiday.

Darkness Falls

Part of my job involves taking calls from customers regarding their ads. This position rotates through my department and my turn ended at the beginning of this month, but a customer recently called when the designated person was already on the phone so the call rolled to me.

We spent about half an hour on the phone together, going over each portion of each ad, detailing the changes that needed to be made, and through it all, the caller was the epitome of patience and graciousness. When my computer was slow, he told me to take my time. When I didn't understand one of his requests, he reworded it for me until it was clear. He maintained a warm tone and thanked me several times for my help.

The next time he called, which was yesterday, he knew my first name so the operator directed his call to me again. He told me he was very pleased with the look of the ads but he wondered if he could make another small change or two. I told him I would make any changes he requested and we walked through the changes. Again, he was polite and patient. He thanked me for my help and praised the ads.

That same evening, I learned about what had happened in Paris. It might seem that the two things are unrelated ... and yet, they aren't. They both reflect the choice we all have in how we live our lives.

Here was one man who decided that he would approach his interaction with another person using good humor and warmth. He wasn't doing anything heroic, he was simply calling to request a change, but he did it in a way that made my day a little brighter. It didn't take a great deal of effort, but he made that effort and I certainly appreciated it.

Then there was a group of people who decided to act quite differently in Paris. Since we don't know for sure who these people were, I can't name their group (although there are hints of who it was). However, I do know that these people have decided to approach others with hate and murder. It doesn't matter if the people they encounter ever did anything to them or their acquaintances. They might turn on each other if given the right provocation. Whatever the situation, they respond with rage. People who have never met them are forced to deal with the consequences of that rage.

Please think about this the next time you encounter anyone in your life. I'm not suggesting that you will ever feel the need to pull out an AK-47 or a bomb, but we all contribute a little to the world's anger when we decide that politeness doesn't matter, when we snarl at someone who may or may not deserve it. I am as guilty as the next person of occasionally letting a personal feeling of annoyance spill out around me to darken the day of someone else. I need to try harder to remember that each person might be having a good or bad day, but I don't need to make it worse. I don't need to be part of the darkness.

Like the gentleman on the phone, even if I brighten the day of only one person, isn't that worth it? If we all try to do that, we can't solve all of the world's problems, but it might mean that at least there's hope for humanity ... and for peace.

Crystal Bridges

Yesterday we got one of those fall days where everything seems to be perfect: the temperature, the breeze, the sunshine, the colors. Amazingly enough, it was a day when we'd decided to travel, which usually brings extreme heat or snow, so I don't know how we managed to choose such a day.

We drove down to Bentonville, Arkansas, to visit Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art. We'd never heard of it until one of my co-workers recommended it ... and I'm glad she did!

Crystal Bridges, November 2015

The museum itself is unlike any I've seen before. When you approach it, you see rolling copper and glass buildings with rounded roofs and windows everywhere. The walls curve and wind, leading you from gallery to gallery, with a few side rooms that seem to appear out of nowhere as you explore. The exhibits lead you from Colonial and early 19th-century art through the 21st century. We saw works by Mary Cassatt, John Singer Sargent, Georgia O'Keeffe, Norman Rockwell, Roy Lichtenstein, Winslow Homer and many more.

That's not all there is to experience, however. The museum is located in a forest, with natural springs and native plants. There are several trails that give breathtaking views and also offer more art.

Tortoise and Hare by Nancy Schon

We had a lot of fun wandering around the grounds on the Art Trail, spotting a Frank Lloyd Wright house and several sculptures, some medium-sized and some very large. The leaves were turning colors and some of them were bigger than my hand! There were streams and squirrels, bridges and benches. It was a great afternoon.

If you're ever in northwest Arkansas, I recommend a trip to this museum. There's something there for almost everyone!