Writing fiction is fairly easy. Writing good fiction that is memorable is another matter entirely. Quite often, the difference lies in the degree to which you can draw your readers into your words. Or, put another way, how real you make the reading experience for them. Adverbs can be useful tools toward that end. They can also clog the pathway to good writing.

As a writer, you have ultimate control over your readers' vicarious experiences. Rich descriptions of both setting and action can help immerse your readers deeper into your story. Used judiciously, adverbs can define action and dialogue to help create vivid mental pictures.

Let's use the following examples:

"Oh, just forget about it," Bill said, walking quickly away.
"Oh, just forget about it," Bill said, walking slowly away.

The two sentences present entirely different possibilities about Bill's state of mind. Perhaps in example number one, he was agitated, or maybe he was happy or in a forgiving mood. What about example number two? Is it possible that Bill was too tired to argue, or too sad? You could derive the rest from the context. The point is, the adverb (just one well-placed word) made all the difference in how we perceived Bill's mood.

There are times when using adverbs is appropriate. There are also occasions when it is not. Many editors frown on the use of adverbs as dialogue tags. Most books on good writing technique will tell you that the context in which your dialogue takes place should already be established by the action and setting. You should not need to qualify your dialogue with adverbs.