The Purpose of IWSG is to share and encourage. Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. It’s a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds!
To join IWSG visit Ninja Captain Alex J. Cavanaugh here.
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JANUARY QUESTION:
What writing rule do you wish you’d never heard?
First off, I’ve always had an issue with the word rule. It takes a hell of a lot of hubris to come up with a subjective construct and label it a rule, but writers, publishers, editors, agents, and the reading public do it all the time. Some rules stick, others do not.
Kevin Spencer/Flickrcc
Write what you know? Don’t use adverbs? Shun the passive voice? These aren’t rules. At best they’re guidelines. Some don’t even achieve guideline status, they’re trends. For example, open with action and avoid prologues.
Sure, it’s crucial to understand the rules. It’s only by learning the rules can we confidently break them. And since this IS an IWSG post, it’s important to note familiarity with the rules will make you a stronger, more self-assured writer. The key is to never allow any so-called rule to dictate your process, voice, or style, or to interfere with your story.
Now, back to January’s question. The one rule I wish would die a slow and painful death?
Never edit as you go.
This little ditty has cost me thousands upon thousands of wasted words and untold hours, days, and months (NaNo anyone?) of squandered time. The result? Superficial unsalvageable drivel worthy of a politician and not even meriting a save in my Dead Darlings file.
If you are a stickler and must have rules, might I suggest Neil Gaiman’s Eight Rules of Writing? For Neil, rule one is, WRITE. Now, that’s a rule, I can get onboard with.
But in general, I say, rules shmooles! Never open with the weather? Show don’t tell? No sentence fragments? Pshaw! Not me. Rules are made to be broken, and I’m proud to be a rebel without a clause.
Turning this month’s question on its end,
is there a writing rule you’d NEVER break?
and a wonderful journey each step of the way.
Agreed, screw most rules indeed. They change so many times over it isn’t funny. Write how you want to write and damn the rest.
Absolutely, Pat. The rules are constantly changing. It’s important to know the rules, but just so you can avoid the traps. 🙂
LOL! I suppose that’s why I’m a rule follower, because I see half of them as guidelines, and not rules. Because that’s what they are. Actually, I have one book that opens with the weather, and wow! It’s a strong opening because that weather sure sets the mood for the quickly advancing scene. =)
Good for you, Crystal! Personally, I think weather is great way to open because it sets the tone of the story. My favorite openings embrace mood and atmosphere.
As soon as I saw the title for this post, I KNEW I was gonna love it! (And you said you have a problem with titles… )
I agree with everything you said. As for a “rule” I’d never break? The only one I can think of is “Write what you want to read.” If we can’t write to please ourselves, it’s unlikely we’re gonna please anyone else, either.
Happy New Year!
I agree, Susan. I have a long track record of writing things I wouldn’t want to read, and it takes all the joy out of the process. Fortunately, I’m over that now… I hope. 🙂 Happy New Year!
Hi, here from Alex’s blog. Interesting advice about editing as you go. Like you, I’m guilty of this. I relate it to my type-A personality. Even though I’ve learned that editing as you go is futile, I still can’t help myself. It’s a hard habit to break, LOL. Hopefully, I’ll overcome this problem in 2017. Happy New Year.
I think for some folks editing along the way can be futile, particularly for writers of plot driven fiction. For me, editing as I go is imperative, but my stories are psychologically rather than plot driven. Happy New Year!
Dean Koontz never goes forward to the next page in his writing until he is sure he cannot write the current one any better. It works for him obviously. May 2017 hold only success for you!
Koontz is a man after my own heart. I do realize as I write, my pages are far from perfect, but I do try make each one as good as it can be at that moment in time. Happy New Year, Roland!
Yeah, that don’t-edit-as-you-go thing. A lot of successful writers edit as they go. The whole trick is finding out what works for you. We’re all different. Love Neil Gaiman’s rules ♥
Exactly, Carol. I know writers whose ideas come so fast and furious, they can’t hold back the flow of words. Alas, that is not me. More’s the pity. 🙂
I also believe that many rules are meant as suggestions.
I have to edit as I go. It’s how I write, how I operate. 🙂
That’s me, Chrys. I think of things while I’m editing that would never occur to me if I just wrote down the plot of the story without stopping to experience the emotion and psychological nuances of a scene. Fact is, I’m writing in my head even as I edit. 🙂
Yeah, I hate rules. Even when it comes to edits, I find myself doing them all the time. I try to limit it during the first draft, but a little editing actually helps my process flow.
Good point, Mark. I do limit my initial edits. After all, I’ll be editing the piece another thirty or forty times before the first draft is complete. 🙂
I like that you pointed out that some are actually trends!
Things are constantly changing, Holly. Donald Maass wrote about a new trend just today on the Writer Unboxed Blog: Immersive POV.
Oo, I’m gonna check that post out.
I like that, guidelines. Great post.
Juneta @ Writer’s Gambit
Grammar rules are relatively fixed, Juneta, but writing rules are constantly in flux. Taking every one of them to heart would almost certainly lead to madness. Maybe that’s my problem. 🙂
I edit as I go. I can’t help it. I don’t want a rough draft that’s a mess.
Subjective construct – that is the best term I’ve heard all day.
Happy 2017!
I understand exactly what you’re saying, Alex. I can’t help it either.
Wishing you a spectacular 2017!
Dead Darlings. I love that!
I, too, edit as I write. I prefer tinkering with already written words rather than coming up with new ones.
I’m a tinkerer, too, Liz. I’m in awe of writers who can come up with brilliant narrative on the spur of the moment, no edits required.
I really don’t pay attention to rules, but one I keep to is no head hopping. And what do you know, I caught a head hop in a book of mine. I know a couple of authors do it on occasion, but it stops me. So did my POV blunder.
Each book determines how it’s written, and for that reason, rules don’t apply.
By the way, I also edit as I write. Then again and again. And again.
And again. 🙂 I don’t head hop either, Polly, although if it’s done well, it doesn’t bother me. My biggest writing weakness is author intrusion. I’m not good at determining where I end and my POV character begins.
Because we have so much to say. 🙂
Exactly, Polly!
I agree with Neil Gaiman about putting work aside and looking at it with fresh eyes. That’s one rule I never break. It’s incredible how much I can improve upon something I’ve written the following day. If I could, I would save this comment and revise it tomorrow.
Absolutely, Jenny. Although we can never view our work with totally fresh eyes, time and distance work miracles. What seems brilliant on Monday will often reveal its cringeworthy truth by Wednesday.