Of course I am familiar with this argument. I am also aware that plenty of fabulous writers use adverbs, and that sometimes it's a stylistic preference. In other instances, there's no other word that will convey the same thing as an adverb. But, since it can be challenging to go against prevailing sentiment, let's narrow it down.
Here are opportunities to use adverbs fearlessly:
1) Dialogue. How does your character speak? Does he/she use adverbs? Do they enhance the dialogue by making the character's speech stand out or intimate his/her upbringing, class, or geographic origin?
2) Poetry. If you want the sentence to read well, sound it out (read it out loud). If the rhythm doesn't work, change the sentence. It could be that an adverb is just what you need.
3) Precision. Sometimes an adverb is perfectly precise. Avoid unnecessary usage (again, because they are out of favor right now), but dare to utilize them when they do enhance.
For example, you might not want to write the sentence, "She whispered softly." Do you see why? Softly/quietly are implied in the word's definition. However, what if you've already used the word whisper eight times in the last page, and a collection of synonyms like utter, mutter, mumble, and mouth just don't work. Then you might want to say, "She spoke quietly again."
At some point, I will probably go in and take out some of the adverbs in my first novel. There are more than a few unnecessary ones. But, then, I wonder, Gee, if I wait long enough will they suddenly and unexpectedly become trendy again?
4) Stream of consciousness. Are you writing in contemporary-style third person? Then stream of consciousness narrative is somewhat like dialogue. If your character thinks in adverbs, then he or she thinks in adverbs. Adverbs are real words. Don't let someone else's opinion dictate your style, or your character's.
Happy Writing!
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