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Shortening "They gave each other a big hug"

But the context will tell us something about the hug on its own, won't it? This hug isn't happening in a vacuum, it's part of a scene, with characters we know things about. If we understand their relationship, we will probably not need much help imagining them hugging in a sufficiently enthusiastic manner. That is, assuming it's important at all.

Look, whatever you do, don't use any adverbs. No "warmly," no "strongly," no "ardently." Even wordiness is better than gratuitous adverb use.
 
Well, I think all the practical suggestions are pretty much taken, probably the best one being just stick with the original wording.

(Though if you absolutely must change it I'm still voting for "they embraced," or "they embraced each other," pace lovecraft68's suggestion that this is a lovers' thing. Relevant counterexample: "Come, father, let us embrace at last." [Excalibur] :D)

But we're remiss. We haven't explored the whimsical, yet. Why not words for "hug" from other languages? They drukkied (Afrikaans) sounds kinda fun and cuddly. They krammed (Swedish) sounds like a big bear hug if ever there was one. They... well, I was going to suggest Yiddish, but apparently that's haldzn which doesn't have quite the ring I was hoping for...
 
Telling folks not to use ANY adverbs is also amateur advice. Adverbs exist to use when they are appropriate. Amateur writers are quick to grab general advice and spike it into the ground to exaggerated degrees.

Sorry, I don't mean to pick on you, but if you continue to give "wrong path" writing advice . . .

In your post, you in fact give conflicting advice. You say not to use ANY adverbs and then not to use them gratuitously. These are not the same thing.
 
I didn't say never to use adverbs. I said don't use any adverbs in this sentence. Certainly none of the ones suggested. "They hugged strongly" would be an awful sentence, and the writer knows it. "They hugged warmly" seems redundant; how many hugs between old friends are cold and discomforting?

I still think the action speaks for itself here (again, probably; none of us have read the story). They hug, and we almost certainly get why already. So my advice is not to belabor it any more than that. If the writer wants to follow someone else's advice, that's his call. Only he really knows the story. I would personally be very surprised if any more elaborate sentence turned out to be necessary.
 
TamLin01 said:
Look, whatever you do, don't use any adverbs. No "warmly," no "strongly," no "ardently."
Click to expand...

This looks like don't use any adverbs to me. The "don't" even is in bold. I can't go beyond what you post to what maybe you meant instead.
 
"Don't" is not "never." Anyway, does it matter? He asked advice, we all gave it. Some sentence or another will happen.
 
Just for the record, I don't agree with you that, absent mitigating qualifiers, "don't" is a conditional word--especially, as in this context, when it has been bolded.
 
As you will.

Back to the subject at hand, was a decision ever made?
 
TamLin01 said:
Back to the subject at hand, was a decision ever made?
Click to expand...
Yes. As I said earlier, I'm leaving the scene as:
Story said:
“Where’s your boyfriend?” [Thomas] asked [his sister Caitlin].

“He misplaced his passport and was searching for it. I know he has it. He should be here any…there he is!” She waved and a guy moved in our direction. He was really good looking, something like a young Tom Cruise with a dark, thick mustache. He looked a little taller than Caitlin, who is 5’8”.

“Oh my God!” Rebecca [Thomas' girlfriend] cried as he approached. “Jacob!”

“Rebecca!”

They gave each other a big hug.

“Well, you two obviously know each other,” said Caitlin.

“This is incredible!” said Rebecca to Jacob. “I thought I’d never see you again!”

They hugged again, then Jacob hugged Caitlin while Rebecca moved to my side and took my hand.
Click to expand...
This is at the start of a cruise. Two days later, Rebecca will dump Thomas to go off with Jacob.
 
8letters said:
Yes. As I said earlier, I'm leaving the scene as:

This is at the start of a cruise. Two days later, Rebecca will dump Thomas to go off with Jacob.
Click to expand...

"OH my God," Rebecca cried, embracing him, "Jacob!"

"Rebecca!" he exclaimed, grabbing her ass and grinding his hips lasciviously against her.

"I'm getting dumped," Thomas muttered.
 
lovecraft68 said:
"OH my God," Rebecca cried, embracing him, "Jacob!"

"Rebecca!" he exclaimed, grabbing her ass and grinding his hips lasciviously against her.

"I'm getting dumped," Thomas muttered.
Click to expand...

That was funny. I'm glad to see you've embraced the playfulness of your inner child. ;) Maybe refrain from the hips thing in that case, though...
 
Last edited:
TamLin01 said:
But the context will tell us something about the hug on its own, won't it? This hug isn't happening in a vacuum, it's part of a scene, with characters we know things about. If we understand their relationship, we will probably not need much help imagining them hugging in a sufficiently enthusiastic manner. That is, assuming it's important at all.

Look, whatever you do, don't use any adverbs. No "warmly," no "strongly," no "ardently." Even wordiness is better than gratuitous adverb use.
Click to expand...

I agree about the context. Perhaps the reason for the question is that the author wants it to convey more and doesn't realize this is a turning point? Giving a hint of how the person viewed the hug might help. Something like..

ie. with John being the dumper, Jill being the female hugger and Frank being the male hugger..

"John envied the hug Jill gave Frank."

Again, context is everything. Just a thought. :)
 
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