Adverbs: Are they really so terribly bad?
Katherine Hales Katherine Hales

Adverbs: Are they really so terribly bad?

When adverbs are mentioned in writing circles, it’s often with the advice to limit or even eliminate them altogether. But what exactly are adverbs? Do they really deserve all the hate? And will it actually make your writing stronger to remove them?

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My Beta Reader Hated My Manuscript. Should I Give Up?
Katherine Hales Katherine Hales

My Beta Reader Hated My Manuscript. Should I Give Up?

This unfortunately is a scenario I’ve seen many times. A new (or experienced) writer sends their manuscript to a beta reader with high hopes, then is absolutely crushed by the response. The beta hated it, couldn’t even get through it, tells the writer they should go back to the drawing board or abandon it completely. What’s a writer to do? Should you follow the beta’s advice? Should you crawl into a hole and never write again? Should you drown your sorrows with a big glass of wine and a tub of Rocky Road?

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