10 rules of writing!
Mar. 2nd, 2010 12:50 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
thanate(It's a meme!)
In no particular order, as drawn from the things that seem important to me at this particular moment:
1) One who does not write, will not produce writing. So, you know, do some, in whatever way seems to work at the moment, whether it be setting deadlines or time blocks to write in or word count goals or something else that hasn't even occurred to me yet.
2) Pay attention to linguistic details: "addicting" does not mean the same thing as "addictive" no matter how may times you see it used wrong on the internet, and your spellcheck will probably not notice if you get the wrong homonym. When you break the rules, it should be a deliberate dialect choice rather than a case of not paying attention.
3) While the Nano philosophy of "just write crap to make your wordcount" may not get you much of anywhere, consider seriously the idea that if you really don't want to write a particular scene, perhaps you shouldn't do so. It may be that something else will do just as well to further your plot, or better.
4) How you write your story is up to you; things like outlining and writing in chronological order may work well for some people and not at all for others. Also, just because one technique worked well for the last story you wrote may not mean it will be the best way to do your next project.
5) What you've been reading or listening to recently is liable to influence your style. You may not (for instance) wish to read The Grapes of Wrath at the same time as you're attempting to write a story set in the streets of Victorian London, or modern day San Francisco.
6) Remember that reading is much faster than writing. Just because you feel like a passage is slow and draggy and boring doesn't necessarily mean that it will read that way: take a break, work on something else, and go re-read what you've written once you've had a chance to get away from it a little.
7) You've only got one chance to tell a story for the very first time. Some things are best when told for the very first time; others benefit from having been summed up, discussed, re-told, and generally thought about seriously. Keep this in mind when you're contemplating telling your friends or beta-readers what's about to happen next.
8) A good editor is your friend; try not to be irritated by suggestions for improvement from someone who liked your story. Also, know how much distance you need between you and the fresh manuscript before you can take edits with some grace, and try not to put yourself into situations where you'll argue with advice just because it isn't your idea.
9) A story is "yours" only so long as you don't share it; as soon as it goes out to the eyes of other readers, then your words become part of their mental landscape and beyond your control.
10) Good writing is a learning process; if the stories you wrote ten years ago are as good as the ones you're writing now, then it's time to try something new and see where that takes you. Similarly, I suspect your ten rules of writing ought to change from time to time as well.
----
So, anyone else?
In no particular order, as drawn from the things that seem important to me at this particular moment:
1) One who does not write, will not produce writing. So, you know, do some, in whatever way seems to work at the moment, whether it be setting deadlines or time blocks to write in or word count goals or something else that hasn't even occurred to me yet.
2) Pay attention to linguistic details: "addicting" does not mean the same thing as "addictive" no matter how may times you see it used wrong on the internet, and your spellcheck will probably not notice if you get the wrong homonym. When you break the rules, it should be a deliberate dialect choice rather than a case of not paying attention.
3) While the Nano philosophy of "just write crap to make your wordcount" may not get you much of anywhere, consider seriously the idea that if you really don't want to write a particular scene, perhaps you shouldn't do so. It may be that something else will do just as well to further your plot, or better.
4) How you write your story is up to you; things like outlining and writing in chronological order may work well for some people and not at all for others. Also, just because one technique worked well for the last story you wrote may not mean it will be the best way to do your next project.
5) What you've been reading or listening to recently is liable to influence your style. You may not (for instance) wish to read The Grapes of Wrath at the same time as you're attempting to write a story set in the streets of Victorian London, or modern day San Francisco.
6) Remember that reading is much faster than writing. Just because you feel like a passage is slow and draggy and boring doesn't necessarily mean that it will read that way: take a break, work on something else, and go re-read what you've written once you've had a chance to get away from it a little.
7) You've only got one chance to tell a story for the very first time. Some things are best when told for the very first time; others benefit from having been summed up, discussed, re-told, and generally thought about seriously. Keep this in mind when you're contemplating telling your friends or beta-readers what's about to happen next.
8) A good editor is your friend; try not to be irritated by suggestions for improvement from someone who liked your story. Also, know how much distance you need between you and the fresh manuscript before you can take edits with some grace, and try not to put yourself into situations where you'll argue with advice just because it isn't your idea.
9) A story is "yours" only so long as you don't share it; as soon as it goes out to the eyes of other readers, then your words become part of their mental landscape and beyond your control.
10) Good writing is a learning process; if the stories you wrote ten years ago are as good as the ones you're writing now, then it's time to try something new and see where that takes you. Similarly, I suspect your ten rules of writing ought to change from time to time as well.
----
So, anyone else?
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2010-03-02 05:55 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-03-02 08:25 pm (UTC)I think #1 in some form or another has got to be the single most repeated bit of writing advice ever.
no subject
Date: 2010-03-03 12:54 am (UTC)