The Road to Hell

You know how Stephen King famously said that he believes the road to hell is paved with adverbs? Well I think it’s paved with adjectives. (Actually, I think it’s probably just black top, but that’s neither here nor there.) His point about adverbs is valid. Instead of saying someone walked softly, you could say they tip-toed. It’s a clearer vision and a more descriptive word. It’s showing instead of telling. If you do your job right, you don’t need adverbs. You do need adjectives, but you also need to use some discretion with them.

“My right hand picked the yellow rose. I brought it to my dainty nose and inhaled its sweet aroma. I placed it in the crystal vase that sat upon the wooden table in the narrow hallway.”

If you use an adjective before every single noun, sure, you’ll paint a vivid picture. However, your reader will never know because they will have died of boredom before you finish. You don’t want to kill anyone with your adjectives, do you? Of course you don’t. This is where sentence structure and variety can become your best friend. By mixing short sentences with long and differing from a standard of subject-verb-adjective-object, your reader will stay engaged as they read.

Also, pay attention to what you’re describing. No one really cares that you picked a rose with your right hand, unless that’s pertinent to the story (like the pirate had just cut off your left hand, your primary rose-picking hand, in the previous scene). Do we care about your dainty nose? Everyone knows a rose smells sweet. If you provide too much description, you run the risk of forgetting to have a point (central conflict, so what) in your essay. And for my money, I’ll take a story with action over a descriptive one any day.

(Editor’s note: Arden picks my featured image each week because she is a gem, and I hadn’t even looked at it when I wrote that example. I’d change the color to pink and the hand to the left but that sounds like a lot of work. And, obviously, if I’m too lazy to pick out my own featured image, I’m too lazy to rewrite my example.)

Nonfiction Know-How: Persuasive Essay

Creative nonfiction isn’t just your personal mostly-true stories. You can also use your powers to teach and persuade readers. Learn how to share your wisdom and lessons about life in a persuasive essay that’s more fun to read than that Grade 8 essay question answer in August’s Nonfiction Know-How.

[Ed’s note: In light of this weekend’s events in Charlottesville, we wanted to say a few words to you before you sit down to write. As writers and editors we believe in freedom of speech. But freedom to say what’s on your mind and in your heart does not exempt you from social consequences if those things are repugnant to the society in which you live. Nor is anyone required to provide you a platform to disseminate repugnant ideas. Writers know the power of words. Words are our first and last line of defense when we cannot otherwise make a stand. They can be shields and weapons both. That’s why YeahWrite has always been, and remains, committed to providing a platform for works that respect the dignity and diversity of our community. Need to swear to get your point across? Do it. Need to drop a few N-bombs or a homophobic slur to get the reader’s attention and show them exactly what was said to you when? Do it, but be mindful of who you are and the power structures behind slurs; if you’re a member of the dominant group think carefully about whether you really need those words and balance your desire to use them against their power to harm. Want to explain why Asians make the best girlfriends? I hear there’s a subReddit for that, but you’re going to get a note from our editors about the inherent racism in that statement and your essay won’t be appearing on our grids. Words have power. Use that power to write a better world. -The YeahWrite Executive Team]

How to submit and fully participate in the challenge:

Basic YeahWrite guidelines: 1000 word limit; your entry can be dated no earlier than this past Sunday; nonfiction personal essay, creative opinion piece or mostly true story based on actual events.

1. In the sidebar of this week’s post, please grab the code beneath the nonfiction badge and paste it into the HTML view of your entry;
2. Follow the Inlinkz instructions after clicking “add your link” to upload your entry to this week’s challenge grid;
3. Your entry should appear immediately on the grid if you don’t receive an error message;
4. Please make the rounds to read all the entries in this week’s challenge; and
5. Consider turning off moderated comments and CAPTCHA on your own blog.

Submissions for this week’s challenges will close on Wednesday at 10pm ET. Voting will then open immediately thereafter and close on Thursday at 10pm ET. The winners, as always, will be celebrated on Friday.

Thank you for sharing with us your hard work! Good luck in the challenge…

About the author:

Michelle submitted her first entry to YeahWrite in March 2012 and they haven’t been able to get rid of her since. After nearly 20 years in the insurance/employee benefits industry, she decided to give it all up to pursue writing full time. Her work has been featured on The Huffington Post and xoJane, as well as several local sites near her northern NJ home. She blogs at Michelle Longo.