![]() If it makes sense you, then adopt it, as-is or with modifications if it smacks of bullshit, ignore it. Don’t take anyone else’s rules as gospel until you’ve made an effort to understand the whys and wherefores of the rule in question. Create your own process, your own style, your own list of dos and don’ts that work for you and your writing. So here’s my first rule of writing: make up your own rules. The problem is, a new writer might hear these little nuggets of wisdom and go, Well, this is a professional and he knows what he’s talking about, so I better do as he says without ever questioning the rationale of the advice, and thus the neophyte writer unwittingly hamstrings himself by placing unnecessary restraints on his writing. I’m talking about the rules of writing, tips on technique that often aren’t a part of formal classes on writing, that you can really only learn from other writers who have already made all the mistakes and discovered all the little secrets. Now, I’m not talking about rules of English - i before e, don’t pluralize a word using apostrophe – S, etc. ![]() ![]() Some items contained sage advice, and others made me want to choke the writer because they were so ridiculous, even damaging to an aspiring writer looking for tips on how to improve. ![]() But I felt compelled to do something after I stumbled across a collection of “rules of writing” from other authors. ![]()
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