tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83528601653366510.post6099502187007365198..comments2024-01-03T04:03:15.300-05:00Comments on S.P. Bowers: OverusedS.P. Bowershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09746614009206426805noreply@blogger.comBlogger29125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83528601653366510.post-37308905398694631062012-07-01T07:51:23.749-04:002012-07-01T07:51:23.749-04:00What's funny is that every one of my novels se...What's funny is that every one of my novels seems to have its own set. I had piles of adverbs with Rosa's story. And with both her and Ayten there are the usual glut of 'looked', 'smiled', 'glanced' and so on.<br />Now, with the shiny new idea, I seem to be using seem all the time!Deniz Bevanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17134553551048836979noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83528601653366510.post-87800020314754965282012-06-29T13:30:06.518-04:002012-06-29T13:30:06.518-04:00Lol, I thought about trying to write this post wit...Lol, I thought about trying to write this post with as many adverbs as possible but it was hard, and annoying.S.P. Bowershttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09746614009206426805noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83528601653366510.post-76212496096282636582012-06-29T13:29:35.428-04:002012-06-29T13:29:35.428-04:00Very true, you must stay true to voice.Very true, you must stay true to voice.S.P. Bowershttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09746614009206426805noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83528601653366510.post-64086134241442044212012-06-29T13:29:15.846-04:002012-06-29T13:29:15.846-04:00I don't use near as much as I used to but they...I don't use near as much as I used to but they do sneak in a bit.S.P. Bowershttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09746614009206426805noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83528601653366510.post-3015467267524508832012-06-29T13:06:42.726-04:002012-06-29T13:06:42.726-04:00I was smiling the whole time I read your post. Yes...I was smiling the whole time I read your post. Yesterday I had a chat with a great writer who is miles ahead of me. I asked her, "Are adverbs ever okay?" She smiled and replied, "Rarely." <br />(Haha! an ly word!)Victoria Lindstromhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09694066132860951997noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83528601653366510.post-31016080294467717572012-06-29T11:57:44.853-04:002012-06-29T11:57:44.853-04:00Suzi talked about this today, too.
For me, it'...Suzi talked about this today, too.<br /><br />For me, it's that different characters overuse different words.<br />No matter what, I have to watch and look for all the things that shouldn't be there...Jolene Perryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14809468564016928636noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83528601653366510.post-5168046689356599912012-06-29T11:57:33.633-04:002012-06-29T11:57:33.633-04:00It is amazing that when I started writing I used &...It is amazing that when I started writing I used "ly" adverbs a lot. Now, I rarely use them. I think that might mean I'm getting better at my craft. Here's hoping.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06519655950073446857noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83528601653366510.post-78222002245729250422012-06-29T09:09:34.120-04:002012-06-29T09:09:34.120-04:00Expanding your horizons!Expanding your horizons!S.P. Bowershttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09746614009206426805noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83528601653366510.post-37813224856827375612012-06-29T09:09:13.903-04:002012-06-29T09:09:13.903-04:00I've heard THAT from a few people. If you lis...I've heard THAT from a few people. If you listen to random conversations it comes up quite a bit too.S.P. Bowershttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09746614009206426805noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83528601653366510.post-10028594019266014632012-06-29T09:08:30.271-04:002012-06-29T09:08:30.271-04:00I ended up leaving a lot of my only for that reaso...I ended up leaving a lot of my only for that reason. Plus when you're looking specifically for a word, and ignoring all the other words around it, it seems much more prevalent than it really is.S.P. Bowershttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09746614009206426805noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83528601653366510.post-24342278712177511862012-06-29T02:57:24.527-04:002012-06-29T02:57:24.527-04:00I overuse 'but'
Knowing this foible, I'...I overuse 'but'<br />Knowing this foible, I've branched out to 'yet' and 'although', lol.Lynda R Young as Elle Cardyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09975442291393246148noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83528601653366510.post-25376565734069937892012-06-28T21:14:57.650-04:002012-06-28T21:14:57.650-04:00THAT is the bane of my writing existence! :)THAT is the bane of my writing existence! :)DL Hammonshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02007260062331783715noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83528601653366510.post-36013612584367642342012-06-28T13:03:26.998-04:002012-06-28T13:03:26.998-04:00SmartEdit is free and it even picks up cliches and...SmartEdit is free and it even picks up cliches and phrases: <br /><br />http://www.mediabistro.com/galleycat/spot-cliches-spot-overused-words-with-free-writing-program_b53352<br /><br />I know I overuse "just" and "only". But deciding to use other words is a hard call because some words are invisible to the reader, like "said". I guess it's a matter of style and personal preference.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06580005193096159491noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83528601653366510.post-78569749940156330252012-06-28T12:45:48.889-04:002012-06-28T12:45:48.889-04:00I've done those things, I'm glad I did thi...I've done those things, I'm glad I did this though. It was another way of looking at it that brought to light some areas to polish.S.P. Bowershttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09746614009206426805noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83528601653366510.post-90143624568332395182012-06-28T12:22:28.386-04:002012-06-28T12:22:28.386-04:00I have not targeted my writing in such a way...yet...I have not targeted my writing in such a way...yet. Probably because I'm scared to. :-) So far I've relied on other readers and reading my work aloud to myself.Barbara Watsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06547166495514562286noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83528601653366510.post-52662429493939629482012-06-28T07:09:57.062-04:002012-06-28T07:09:57.062-04:00I had to work out some repetitive sentence structu...I had to work out some repetitive sentence structure too.S.P. Bowershttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09746614009206426805noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83528601653366510.post-87168541422176318142012-06-27T21:37:24.530-04:002012-06-27T21:37:24.530-04:00I tend to reuse words too close together too often...I tend to reuse words too close together too often. (see?) I'm also like Kyra above in that I use a lot of "ing" endings. Sentence structure repetition is another thing I have to keep an eye out for too.Jeff Hargetthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14198367021884647821noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83528601653366510.post-27851356163298783622012-06-27T13:03:28.306-04:002012-06-27T13:03:28.306-04:00Hmm, I never thought to check for "that"...Hmm, I never thought to check for "that". It's amazing, however careful I am to try to make sure that each sentence only has words that are essential I keep finding words that aren't necessary.S.P. Bowershttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09746614009206426805noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83528601653366510.post-54621161568376159482012-06-27T13:01:28.881-04:002012-06-27T13:01:28.881-04:00Oooo, maybe I need to do a check on as.Oooo, maybe I need to do a check on as.S.P. Bowershttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09746614009206426805noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83528601653366510.post-37832245630398967552012-06-27T13:01:09.884-04:002012-06-27T13:01:09.884-04:00Adverbs can be well used and add to the story grea...Adverbs can be well used and add to the story greatly. Maybe I better check Just too. I hear that's a common one.S.P. Bowershttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09746614009206426805noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83528601653366510.post-34658172577193977092012-06-27T13:00:03.411-04:002012-06-27T13:00:03.411-04:00I haven't heard of Smart Edit. I'm lookin...I haven't heard of Smart Edit. I'm looking forward to your post. <br /><br />I thought I had caught most of them in earlier drafts but I missed a bunch.S.P. Bowershttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09746614009206426805noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83528601653366510.post-44815898111182474902012-06-27T12:58:59.452-04:002012-06-27T12:58:59.452-04:00Thanks! I don't have anything against adverbs ...Thanks! I don't have anything against adverbs themselves. Just the overuse of them. And I had overused them despite trying not to. Ah well, I guess with that many words some undesirable words might sneak in.S.P. Bowershttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09746614009206426805noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83528601653366510.post-63659234931762713352012-06-27T11:48:09.558-04:002012-06-27T11:48:09.558-04:00Yes, I still use a few here and there, but I alway...Yes, I still use a few here and there, but I always try, since finding out they're considered a lazy way to tell a story rather than show it, to use them sparingly.<br /><br />The word "that" has the same problems. Overuse.Donna K. Weaverhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15763832177263927311noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83528601653366510.post-23371247175579495352012-06-27T10:56:42.643-04:002012-06-27T10:56:42.643-04:00As is mine bane! Everyone does something AS someth...As is mine bane! Everyone does something AS something else takes place. LOL! I'm heavy-handed with JUST, too.Zan Mariehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13403563510118660546noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83528601653366510.post-9400223878491926852012-06-27T10:08:30.500-04:002012-06-27T10:08:30.500-04:00Just. "Just" is the bane of my life. Eve...Just. "Just" is the bane of my life. Every reread and edit proves to my just how much I use "just". It's sad.<br /><br />As for adverbs, I do think they're easy to overuse, but I don't think they should be avoided altogether. They can be incredibly useful (and beautiful to read) if used in the right places.Sangu Mandannahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09464061265952789628noreply@blogger.com