Unapologetically Advocating For Adverbs

I unapologetically advocate for adverbs. Rightly or wrongly, adverbs have been widely labelled as distractingly superfluous by multiple pundits.
 
But if actions speak louder than words, why are nouns forgiven their adjectives while verbs are maligned for having their own modifiers?
 
Of course, I readily admit that, sometimes, an adverb could easily be replaced by a tidily tailored verb or a deftly reconfigured noun and adjective. It is certainly considered best practice to surgically and unsparingly pare down one’s paragraphs – leaving behind only the most ascetically and aesthetically pleasing sentences.
 
Nonetheless, I believe wholeheartedly in the value of a sensibly selected and showcased adverb. Anyone can smile. But who smiles saucily? Who smiles shyly? And who smiles slyly? These are clearly smilers of different sorts.
 
And anyone can write. But who can write concisely, captivatingly, compellingly? Wouldn’t each of these authors allow the odd adverb into their creative fold?
 
In the end, ‘de gustibus non est disputandum’, and while I ecstatically embrace adverbs, others may just as emphatically eschew them. To each his or her own.
 
For now, I will attentively endeavour to critically evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of any adverb I intentionally unleash in my text.  By diligently focusing on strict self-editing, I will strive to strip away extraneous adverbs. But those that still trip prettily off the tongue will, naturally, be spared, even if I risk being labelled ‘adverbose’.

​6 Feb 2021