My writing students get the writing rules drilled into them. Show don’t tell. “Ly” words are not our friends. Be concise. More than one budding novelist has asked, “Is it ever OK to use modifiers?” Hmm. “Is it ever OK” might be better phrased, “Is a modifier ever the best word choice?”

Writing Tip for Today: In many cases modifiers can be replaced by stronger (that is, more active) verbs or more precise descriptions. Modifiers are necessary to add nuance or soften statements, especially if the POV character is describing something another character thinks or feels. Example: Above, my sentence states: “In MANY cases . . .” I added the word many to soften the implication that modifiers can always be replaced. That’s a sweeping generality which isn’t true in every case.
Or, Try this: Circle all modifiers (adverbs and adjectives) in a passage of your work-in-progress. Read aloud the passage, omitting the circled words. Do you miss them or is your meaning not as clear? If the answer is yes, read aloud again, this time including the omitted words. That way you at least are making an informed choice.
Sometimes, in aiming for concise writing, the author overreaches, resulting in a stilted piece of prose. I’ll go out on a limb here and say that if you eliminate all modifiers, you may end up with bland writing that has little personality and no voice.
Remember, there are only two kinds of writing: Writing that works and writing that needs work. If you can use a modifier in a purposeful way that works, go for it. I’ll be teaching during tonight’s Civil War between the two Oregon schools, UO and OSU, but I’d rather be watching the game. GO DUCKS.