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Indeed the list of literary "no-nos" has increased greatly over the last half century. The long-winded, overly-descriptive passages that are so prevalent in the classics, and occasionally in more recent works such as Tolkien, simply wouldn't fly by the standards of today's editors. There is also an increasing list of words that are to be entirely avoided...such as adjectives and adverbs. Now I don't entirely agree with that, but it is true that many new, aspiring authors litter their work with numerous, unnecessary words whose only purpose is to strengthen nouns or verbs that were weak to begin with.

If it's possible to think of a descriptive word that doesn't need an adjective to convey the intended message, then by all means, use it! But don't be afraid to use adjectives either. You would be surprised to see how some best-selling authors use adverbs and adjectives quite liberally in their works.

Another thing I've noticed in my personal reading of different authors is that the style of writing varies from genre to genre. One old rule of writing I remember is "don't use metaphors" but when reading Terry Brooks, it's difficult to find a page where he doesn't use a metaphor whereas searching for metaphors in a Tom Clancy novel, you may be more hard pressed to find one. Thus this is why it is a good idea to be well-read in your chosen genre.

Remember, always take advice with a grain of salt. This includes the so-called "rules of writing." What may tend to apply more to one genre may not be an issue with the next. Naturally, the style and choice of words would be quite different between a historical romance set in Elizabethan England to a modern political thriller.

The most important word of advice I can give to you is this: write! That's the only way you get better. As you progress you tend to notice your own weaknesses and tendencies as a writer and will be able to correct them from there. Until then, don't sweat the small stuff. And remember: it's all small stuff!

Learn more about this author, Andrew Kerbs.
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