The road to hell is paved with adverbs. –Stephen King
Why? Adverbs usually mean a weak verb. ‘Ran quickly’ means what? ‘Raced’ says it better, faster, with more oomph. When in doubt, cut the adverbs and see if the rest stands on its own. If the writing is strong, it will. If it doesn’t, try different verbs. Once in awhile, an adverb is okay–not good, just okay. Be careful you don’t use them as a crutch. Don’t start paving your way with them. That road leads to bad places.
Everyday Magic | M. E. Garber 