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| Original image by Rachel Lyra Hospodar |
Writing advice blogs list many rules for you to follow in
your books. Never use adjectives, use strong verbs instead. Don’t use the word ‘was’
because that’s passive writing. Never write a prologue because that undermines
the rest of your book. I’m sure we’ve all seen these rules and many, many more.
But then you see writers who have prologues, who write passively, whose prose
are full of adverbs, and who get away with all these things brilliantly, and it
gets confusing. While these rules have merit because they stop and make us
think about our prose and whether we really need that prologue, it is all too
easy to get caught up in following the rules to the letter to the detriment of
our stories. So, with this in mind, I’ve made my own list of writing rules.
Thou shalt not discard
ideas because of the opinion of others. Give your ideas fair consideration
and don’t be swayed by what other people say about them. Who is to say they
know best when it comes to your writing? Even if it is an idea that has been
done a hundred times before, if you really want to write it, you’ll be able to
think up a new twist on it.
Thou shalt follow the
rules of writing only so far as they improve your book. Don’t get bogged
down in eliminating all those ‘was’s just because someone says you shouldn’t
use them. There is a place for everything, and sometimes you really do need to
use the word ‘was’ to avoid awkward writing. Judge whether to follow the rules
by the way it helps your book. The story is king.
Thou shall not judge
your writing compared to that of others. Other writers have different
styles, have been writing for different lengths of time, or, in the case of published
authors, have worked with a team of highly skilled professionals. Your writing is
unique and can never be measured against some standardised yardstick.
Thou shalt devour the
creations of others. One cannot create in a vacuum. If there are no ideas
coming in from outside, you pretty quickly run out of things to say. Take some
time in between writing to recharge your creative batteries and sample some of
the amazing creations of other people, whether they be books, poems, movies,
plays, or anything else that fires up your imagination.
Give all feedback
consideration, but do not believe it blindly. Not all critiques and
comments are useful. What seems to be a problem to one person may not be seen
as an issue by another. Consider all suggestions and feedback carefully and
with a clear mind and decide for yourself whether it’s helpful or not.
Thou shalt be proud
of thy writing. Your writing is an amazing thing and you deserve to be
proud of your books and your characters, and to share your excitement with your
fellow writers and understanding friends. However, don’t fall into the trap of
talking about writing more than you do it. You must have something written to
be proud of.
Above all else, thou
shalt be true to yourself as a writer. Don’t follow what other people write
simply because you think it’s better than what you write. Don’t take on the
style of another writer because you think it is better than your own. Write
what you want, accept your own writing voice, and enjoy being a writer. Because
after all, we have worlds in our heads that spill onto paper. What could be
more wonderful than that?
Do you agree with
these rules? What rules would you add to this list? What is one thing you are proud
of at the moment?
