Adverbially mine

[desperance]

There are various fetishisms that possess the writerly community, that people like to hammer like nails into innocent newbies as though they had the crucifixial force of law: thou shalt not write in passive voice! (with its corollary of any use of the word 'was' is passive!), or thou shalt heed Strunk & White [or Chicago, or the authority of someone else's choice] in all things!, or thou shalt surely expunge all thy adverbs, or...

Now hold hard there one little minute.

I happen to like adverbs, me. I find them useful. Not in excess, of course - nothing in excess: that's another rule - but nevertheless and none the why. I like 'em, and I use 'em, and I'm not ashamed of it.

Particularly, in recent years, I have been fond of the adverbs of all-embracingness: absolutely and entirely and so forth.

Anybody out there ever seen utmostly?

Well, you will now. Or in ten months, at least. It's going in Pandaemonium.

Comments

[spaceoperadiva]

I run a home for abused and neglected adverbs. With a little loving kindness, they can be rehabilitated and incorporated into wonderful stories.