I'm over at Novel Spaces today, talking about the "one" rule of writing you must follow. Hope you will drop by.
And late breaking news: I didn't know this was going up today but there's an interview with me over at Aerin's In Search of Giants. It's even for charity.
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You were so thorough with supposed "Rules" that I haven't come up with a different one yet.
ReplyDeleteGreat post -- your One Rule is definitely something that needs to be spread around, often and loudly. :)
ReplyDeleteAngie
Your list of "rules what are not rules"... All these years i listened the same things time and time again. At least they could make new ones! ;)
ReplyDeleteI love to read about rules. I'll check that out.
ReplyDeleteDavid J. West, It might be worth publishing an expanded list at some point if we can find some more.
ReplyDeleteAngie, thanks. I agree for sure.
Deka, some people are making new ones even now, I'm sure. Some folks love rules.
Christina, Hope you enjoy.
Good post. My take on rules is that they are good guidelines for beginners. As a writer is more proficient, it's not that she breaks the rules arbitrarily, but that she knows exactly how, when and why to break them.
ReplyDeleteRichard, I think you're absolutely right. I hear too often though new writers who take them so seriously that they have a hard time breaking free of the restrictions.
ReplyDeleteOff to get that one rule (I hope it's not "Don't skip English classes." If so, I'm sunk).
ReplyDeleteYour advice is always worth reading!
ReplyDeleteAloha from Waikiki :)
Comfort Spiral
So how can I resist finding out what the "one" rule of writing (that I'm probably not following) is?
ReplyDeleteI'll see you at Novel Spaces.
hail prince charles :)
ReplyDeleteSage, I didn't skip a lot of them. I just didn't pay attention.
ReplyDeleteCloudia, thanks. I'm glad to hear that.
Jennifer, I appreciate that.
Laughingwolf, and to you nobel Knight.
zum wohl! ;)
ReplyDeleteAs a teacher of writing, I'm constantly learning new "rules" from students about how you should or shouldn't go about writing papers. Something close to 100% of them are pure nonsense, and the kicker is that they've learned a lot of them from previous writing teachers.
ReplyDeleteFine piece, Charles. If everyone obeyed every one of those rules, dang few stories would get written.
ReplyDeleteJohn Champlin Gardner used to say that in the last count on writing,there really are no rules.
ReplyDeleteHe was a former farm boy turned bestselling fiction writer.
So,
Hix
Nix
Rules
Pix? :)
laughingwolf, that must be some Canadian saying. I'll have to ask Lana for a translation.
ReplyDeleteRon Scheer, there's a lot of bad advice out there, or advice that is taken as absolutes rather than as guidelines for a specific project.
Evan Lewis, that's for sure. I've even seen people break the rule in the article where they're talking about the rule.
ivan, well I'm a former farm boy turned least selling fiction writer.
Charles,
ReplyDeleteThat is wryly funny! :)
Ivan, that's my speciality.
ReplyDeleteThe last "rule" is my favorite.
ReplyDeleteAnd it's great you're getting so many comments on In Search of Giants. Yay charity!
Very good point. I find the "rules" most helpful when editing, not when writing. I go back and see what I've done too much of, or too little of. Maybe a bit too much telling and not enough showing of important bits. Maybe a few too many cliches. Maybe not enough conflict early in the story. But it's ultimately a judgment call, and a balancing act.
ReplyDeleteChristine, thankee. Yes, I'm glad folks stopped by over at the interview.
ReplyDeleteBenjibopper, good point. As guidelines during the editing process they can be helpful or at least make you think, which is critical.