But step back for a minute, and you'll see that there are published stories in second person. Nearly every topic has been covered in literature, even (especially?) controversial ones. I have yet to read an author that didn't use even ONE adverb. You might not like oddly structured stories or stories about mean people, but that doesn't mean it can't be done successfully.
So if the opportunity presents itself, learn about the things you dislike or disagree with. Listen to conflicting opinions. There is probably some kernel of truth there for you to find. At the very least, you'll have the opportunity to really examine and test your own opinions.
I'm not saying adopt everything you read. In fact, that's a whole separate problem - coming up later. It might not be the right approach for you, or it might not be the right time to address it. Heck, it really could be wrong.
Still, in this area, an open and thoughtful approach will serve you best. Try to work through defensiveness - remember, no one is saying you actually have to DO any of this. Just consider it. Because if you can't, if you are so adamant on a point that you can't even listen to other options, you're probably holding yourself back in some way.
#4 - Three stages of learning are ignorance, hypersensitivity, and internalization
OK, if you just searched wikipedia, you found out I made that up. If there is a psychological theory out there that explains this, I'm not familiar with it. But this tip comes from observations of myself and others, both in the writing field and out of it. Here's how it goes down:
Ignorance: Johnny thinks he is the bee's knees. He doesn't know there is a problem. He doesn't even know he doesn't know. And then something comes along and bursts his bubble - through a book, critique, class, or failure.
Luckily, Johnny doesn't just find out about the problem, he's presented with a solution too. Usually this takes the form of a "rule of thumb" - some flag that signifies a larger problem, often a word, phrase, or punctuation mark of some kind. When a concept is new, we like to boil it down to the simplest terms. A problem with passive voice becomes a problem with the word
was.
Hypersensitivity: Now that Johnny knows what to look for, he sees it everywhere. He prunes it out of his prose ruthlessly, even if it means damaging the text in other ways. Because Johnny has conquered the greater evil - be it adverb, passive voice, repetitive pronoun, incomplete sentences, exposition, or whatever.
(In fact, Johnny might be so aware of the flag that he starts to see it in everyone else's writing as well. I went through a period where I had trouble reading published books because seeing things that I was removing from my own text derailed my experience as a reader. For example, I'd run into the word
was and automatically start puzzling out how I would get rid of it. Kind of takes the fun out of reading. This can also be an issue when giving/receiving critiques, but we'll talk about that later.)
Thankfully, it doesn't last forever. Johnny begins to unconsciously solve the problem as he writes, before he even knows it's there. He differentiates between the flag and the problem it represents. Johnny becomes less reactionary and more discerning. He'll notice that there are places where he wants to leave the adverb/exposition/whatever - either because he sees the damage left behind when he removes it, or because he likes what it does for the story by being there. He relaxes a little, and suddenly that flag doesn't bother him so much. He's
internalized the solution, and now Johnny is free to obsess over the next thing.
I think it is important to be aware of this cycle, because it is possible to get stuck. If you get stuck in the ignorance phase, then that's probably a product of complacency or conceit - we all know that our work isn't perfect. It's up to you to get out of that tar pit.
But let's say you get stuck in the hypersensitive phase - that can really muck up your creativity. In most cases I've experienced, it's because I didn't reach the point where I understood the big problem behind the cue I was reacting to. When I figured out what was holding me back, I was able to search out the explanations I needed, and that got me back on track.
Just keep in mind that it might happen over and over again, depending on how quickly you go through these phases. I've had battles with
was and
ly and
looked and
had and
telling. The cycle has sped up as I've become aware of the problem -
was took about 6 months, while
looked only took a few weeks. But it isn't over. My campaign against
it and
but is only just beginning.