: Re: When should modifiers be avoided? I've come across this Mark Twain quote: When you catch an adjective, kill it. No, I don't mean utterly, but kill most of them -- then the rest will

StrixVaria is right: too many adjectives are a sign that you are probably lazy â€“ and less precise.

The standard example why killing adjectives/adverbs is worth considering:
"The man moved slowly."

What image popped up in your head, when you read this sentence?

Now we try again:
"The man sneaked."
"The man strolled."
"The man limped."

What images popped up now? Was one of them identical to the first one? All of these three sentences can be described lazily as "moved slowly". But the sentences have all different meanings. They are much more precise than the first one.

The idea of killing adjective-noun or adverb-verb combinations is finding an expression which produces a better image in the reader's head.

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: What's a normal word count for a children's novel or collection? How many words are normal for a children's novel? Say 5th - 8th grade, if that's the best way to measure it.

@Frith254

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: If you get an advance do you ever have to give it back? Do publishers give you an advance as some sort of earnest money for your manuscript? If your work doesn't sell very well do you

: Re: When should modifiers be avoided? I've come across this Mark Twain quote: When you catch an adjective, kill it. No, I don't mean utterly, but kill most of them -- then the rest will

More posts by @Frith254

: What's a normal word count for a children's novel or collection? How many words are normal for a children's novel? Say 5th - 8th grade, if that's the best way to measure it.

: If you get an advance do you ever have to give it back? Do publishers give you an advance as some sort of earnest money for your manuscript? If your work doesn't sell very well do you

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