Imogen's Rules for Writing
21:13 |
| 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?
9 comments
These rules are great. To paraphrase Pirates of the Carribean ... rules are more like guidelines, anyways. Most of these rules are about staying true to your writing style and what improves your work, and there's nothing more important than that. Even if you disagree with everything outside your vacuum (which I don't recommend really), at least you're finding out what you don't want your writing style to be.
ReplyDeleteI think the second one is my fav -- there's just the implicit sass there, you know? :D
I totally agree with the Pirates of the Caribbean outlook on things. Rules aren't set in stone. Besides, what is accepted as a rule at one point may change in the future. I think staying true to your own writing style is definitely the most important 'rule' of all.
DeleteYes to all of these "rules"! I think you have to know when to break the rules and just do your own thing. Ultimately, if you believe in what you've written than it must have some substance to it (our inner editors are way to critical to let us get away with loving a piece that we're unsure about). This was definitely something that I needed to hear.
ReplyDeleteP.S. Your list looks more credible with the "thou"s and "shalt"s, tehe.
I used the wrong "than"; my apologies. I should have said "...you've written THEN it must have...."
DeleteOur inner editors are definitely our worst critics. Even when a book is published, I'm sure the author looks at it and sees things that they would like to change about it. I'm glad that this post found you at the right time.
DeleteThese rules are so nice! I love how they're all about positivity. It's true that it's very easy to be "down" on ourselves because of whatever reason. I know that I've felt like my writing sucks multiple times! I just want to do what I love despite insecurities which is something that i got out of from your list.
ReplyDeletewonderful post.
It's so easy to get discouraged with writing when people are telling you all the things you shouldn't be doing. Plus we're always our own toughest critics. So I figured it's time someone had encouraging rules. I'm glad they were able to encourage you.
DeleteOoh, these are awesome, and so very true! It's important to remember that our writing is a very subjective process and we have to be constantly adjusting and changing our own styles to match it! :)
ReplyDeleteIt it definitely important to remember that. Thanks for stopping by Heather.
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