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Here's a Nerdy Writing Hack That Might Help You Out! #author #writer #writing #authortube #books

22 Aug 2026 · 1 min

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1:11

In this brief instructional video, the speaker presents a nerdy writing hack focused on the effective use of adverbs. He outlines three clear rules: (1) Prefer a stronger, more precise verb instead of adding an adverb (e.g., use "whispered" rather than "talked quietly"). (2) Include an adverb only when it supplies new information beyond what the verb already conveys (e.g., "whispered fervently" adds nuance, whereas "limped painfully" is redundant). (3) Ensure that any additional information from an adverb is relevant to the story’s needs (e.g., mention that a painting is beautiful only if the beauty matters to the narrative). The speaker emphasizes that most of the time writers can simply cut the adverb if a suitable verb is chosen, and he ends with a call to subscribe for more writing tips.

Chapters

This one's a super nerdy writing hack, but here goes. How do you know when to use an adverb? Rule number 1, don't add an adverb when you could pick a better verb. Don't tell me they talked quietly when you could say they whispered. Don't tell me that he ran quickly when you could say that he sprinted. Most of the time you can just cut the adverb if you would pick a better verb that gave me the right information. Rule number 2, only add an adverb if it gives me new information. So you could say that somebody whispered fervently, but don't tell me that somebody limped painfully because I kind of already know it's probably painful if they're limping. Only give me an adverb if it gives me more information than I get in the verb. Rule number 3, only give me that more information if it's actually relevant to the story. Don't tell me somebody painted beautifully unless I need to know that the painting was beautiful. Don't tell me they whispered fervently unless I need to know that it was a fervent whisper. So those are the 3 rules. Most of the time, you can just cut an adverb if you would actually pick a good verb. And then only add an adverb if it gives me new information that I actually need. Subscribe for more writing tips.