Avoid Adverbs Where Possible

There are some authors who feel all modifiers of 'said' should be eliminated altogether. If the idea is broken into a couple of sentences or phrases, it reads better and gives the reader a chance to absorb what is going on. Here's a Tom Swifty as a simple silly example: "That is awfully good sandpaper," he said roughly. It reads better, if not less silly, broken in two: "That's awfully good sandpaper," he said. His voice was rough.

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