Many writers tend to confuse adjectives and adverbs (\u201cdescribing\u201d words) with details. When adjectives and adverbs are used to emphasize an emotion or emotional state, they can add very little to the description of an experience and can even undermine it. However, when that emotion or emotional state is described properly, it can bring a story to life.<\/p>\n
Example 1: \u201cWith the award in hand, I felt extremely proud of my accomplishment.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n In the case above, the word \u201cextremely\u201d does not help create or enhance the reader\u2019s mental picture, but merely states the obvious. After all, the difference between being \u201cextremely proud\u201d and \u201cproud\u201d is very little, considering that pride is naturally an \u201cextreme\u201d emotion. This just doesn\u2019t effectively convey how the writer actually felt.<\/p>\n Example 2: \u201cApproaching the podium to receive the award, I admittedly felt faint. Even though my hands were shaking, I managed to give our company president a firm handshake when she passed me the award. As I began speaking to a crowd of my colleagues, I finally understood what it meant to be proud of myself.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n In this second example, the details of the story (“felt faint,\u201d \u201cmy hands were shaking\u201d) create an image in the reader\u2019s mind. The reader is not relating to the simple adjectives that reinforce existing impressions, but experiencing details that bring color to the story. In the first example, the story does not change if the word \u201cextremely\u201d is removed, but in the second, real emotion is conveyed.<\/p>\n We encourage our candidates to avoid adjectives that reinforce an existing emotion and to write descriptively to capture a spirit.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"