The Rules
The Guardian has published ten rules for writing fiction from several different writers. Find Part 1 here and Part 2 here. My favorite are Jeanette Winterson’s rules which include:
2. Never stop when you are stuck. You may not be able to solve the problem, but turn aside and write something else. Do not stop altogether.
7. Take no notice of anyone with a gender agenda. A lot of men still think that women lack imagination of the fiery kind.
9. Trust your creativity.
What are your rules?
I like Rule 2 about not stopping. I stopped once and then didn’t do a thing for 2 years. It’s different for every writer probably, and I know some excellent writers who do feel the need to stop every now and then, and that works great for them. So each to their own etc. But for me, starting again can sometimes be very hard, so if I never stop I never have to start again. Obviously working that way means that a lot of crap probably comes out sometimes, but whatever, I feel like you have to filter through crap stuff in order to get to the good.
Oh yeah, and I guess another rule I have is the idea of not limiting your imagination. Let it do what it does without worrying about what other people might make of it. Do what you want. Sounds obvious, but sometimes the most simple rules are the best
My two pennies worth anyway.
I like Rule 2 about not stopping. I stopped once and then didn’t do a thing for 2 years. It’s different for every writer probably, and I know some excellent writers who do feel the need to stop every now and then, and that works great for them. So each to their own etc. But for me, starting again can sometimes be very hard, so if I never stop I never have to start again. Obviously working that way means that a lot of crap probably comes out sometimes, but whatever, I feel like you have to filter through crap stuff in order to get to the good.
Oh yeah, and I guess another rule I have is the idea of not limiting your imagination. Let it do what it does without worrying about what other people might make of it. Do what you want. Sounds obvious, but sometimes the most simple rules are the best
My two pennies worth anyway.
I like Rule 2 about not stopping. I stopped once and then didn’t do a thing for 2 years. It’s different for every writer probably, and I know some excellent writers who do feel the need to stop every now and then, and that works great for them. So each to their own etc. But for me, starting again can sometimes be very hard, so if I never stop I never have to start again. Obviously working that way means that a lot of crap probably comes out sometimes, but whatever, I feel like you have to filter through crap stuff in order to get to the good.
Oh yeah, and I guess another rule I have is the idea of not limiting your imagination. Let it do what it does without worrying about what other people might make of it. Do what you want. Sounds obvious, but sometimes the most simple rules are the best
My two pennies worth anyway.
yep, i like the not stopping thing too. i stopped for about five years. don’t want to do that again.
yep, i like the not stopping thing too. i stopped for about five years. don’t want to do that again.
yep, i like the not stopping thing too. i stopped for about five years. don’t want to do that again.
Try to enjoy it. We aren’t doctors, no one will die if we don’t write well.
Get drunk in doing things you don’t know how to do.
All writing, even the most traditional, has to be experimental, or what’s the point?
It takes work to find good new art but it’s worth it. I mean, there was no golden age.
It isn’t dishonest to be generous.
Writing rules should likely be squeamish.
Try to enjoy it. We aren’t doctors, no one will die if we don’t write well.
Get drunk in doing things you don’t know how to do.
All writing, even the most traditional, has to be experimental, or what’s the point?
It takes work to find good new art but it’s worth it. I mean, there was no golden age.
It isn’t dishonest to be generous.
Writing rules should likely be squeamish.
Try to enjoy it. We aren’t doctors, no one will die if we don’t write well.
Get drunk in doing things you don’t know how to do.
All writing, even the most traditional, has to be experimental, or what’s the point?
It takes work to find good new art but it’s worth it. I mean, there was no golden age.
It isn’t dishonest to be generous.
Writing rules should likely be squeamish.
i like this one from helen who’s done more:
4 Reread, rewrite, reread, rewrite. If it still doesn’t work, throw it away. It’s a nice feeling, and you don’t want to be cluttered with the corpses of poems and stories which have everything in them except the life they need.
i like this one from helen who’s done more:
4 Reread, rewrite, reread, rewrite. If it still doesn’t work, throw it away. It’s a nice feeling, and you don’t want to be cluttered with the corpses of poems and stories which have everything in them except the life they need.
i like this one from helen who’s done more:
4 Reread, rewrite, reread, rewrite. If it still doesn’t work, throw it away. It’s a nice feeling, and you don’t want to be cluttered with the corpses of poems and stories which have everything in them except the life they need.
These are great. Though I have to say this one dates Franzen a bit “It’s doubtful that anyone with an internet connection at his workplace is writing good fiction.” Older people seem to be so distracted by the Internet. For younger writers, I don’t think it’s a distraction; it just IS. It exists. I can’t imagine writing without it. (And I’m not even that young.)
The only rule I’ve ever had is listed by several of these writers: Read all the time. Read more than you write. Maybe five times more. Maybe ten times more. Not that good writers need to be told that. If you don’t love to read, why on earth would you want to write other than pure ego?
These are great. Though I have to say this one dates Franzen a bit “It’s doubtful that anyone with an internet connection at his workplace is writing good fiction.” Older people seem to be so distracted by the Internet. For younger writers, I don’t think it’s a distraction; it just IS. It exists. I can’t imagine writing without it. (And I’m not even that young.)
The only rule I’ve ever had is listed by several of these writers: Read all the time. Read more than you write. Maybe five times more. Maybe ten times more. Not that good writers need to be told that. If you don’t love to read, why on earth would you want to write other than pure ego?
These are great. Though I have to say this one dates Franzen a bit “It’s doubtful that anyone with an internet connection at his workplace is writing good fiction.” Older people seem to be so distracted by the Internet. For younger writers, I don’t think it’s a distraction; it just IS. It exists. I can’t imagine writing without it. (And I’m not even that young.)
The only rule I’ve ever had is listed by several of these writers: Read all the time. Read more than you write. Maybe five times more. Maybe ten times more. Not that good writers need to be told that. If you don’t love to read, why on earth would you want to write other than pure ego?
This is my favorite. And it makes me feel good because, without a doubt, I read five times more than I write.
This is my favorite. And it makes me feel good because, without a doubt, I read five times more than I write.
This is my favorite. And it makes me feel good because, without a doubt, I read five times more than I write.
i’m a terrible reader. i don’t know what’s wrong.
i’m a terrible reader. i don’t know what’s wrong.
i’m a terrible reader. i don’t know what’s wrong.
also
6 Have regrets. They are fuel. On the page they flare into desire.– Geoff Dyer
3 Style is the art of getting yourself out of the way, not putting yourself in it.- David Hare
also
6 Have regrets. They are fuel. On the page they flare into desire.– Geoff Dyer
3 Style is the art of getting yourself out of the way, not putting yourself in it.- David Hare
also
6 Have regrets. They are fuel. On the page they flare into desire.– Geoff Dyer
3 Style is the art of getting yourself out of the way, not putting yourself in it.- David Hare
I have always felt that if I am not writing well or at all that I will lose fingers or maybe an arm. Most certainly I will cease to be interesting – if to no one else than at least to myself. I have always found writers who were not writing something to be absolutely boring and should lose a finger or two.
I have always felt that if I am not writing well or at all that I will lose fingers or maybe an arm. Most certainly I will cease to be interesting – if to no one else than at least to myself. I have always found writers who were not writing something to be absolutely boring and should lose a finger or two.
I have always felt that if I am not writing well or at all that I will lose fingers or maybe an arm. Most certainly I will cease to be interesting – if to no one else than at least to myself. I have always found writers who were not writing something to be absolutely boring and should lose a finger or two.
no regrets – they aren’t fuel they are only regrets, what is more fueling? a regret or something done, lived through and possibly failed at?
If I spent my life regretting that I had not gone off to Chicago and lived with that woman who I so fancied I might have gotten one or two poems or stories out of it – instead I got hundreds of poems and several stories. She broke my heart and the memory hurts badly everyday, but I have no regrets about it.
desire is the next thing that I will try and not regret for not having tried it.
writing about regret is much akin to writing greeting cards.
I could go on and on about why dyer is wrong here, I can only agree if you long to murder or something worse and you live long regretting that you had not done so. Yeah, regret that and write about it. Otherwise follow through on your aspirations.
no regrets – they aren’t fuel they are only regrets, what is more fueling? a regret or something done, lived through and possibly failed at?
If I spent my life regretting that I had not gone off to Chicago and lived with that woman who I so fancied I might have gotten one or two poems or stories out of it – instead I got hundreds of poems and several stories. She broke my heart and the memory hurts badly everyday, but I have no regrets about it.
desire is the next thing that I will try and not regret for not having tried it.
writing about regret is much akin to writing greeting cards.
I could go on and on about why dyer is wrong here, I can only agree if you long to murder or something worse and you live long regretting that you had not done so. Yeah, regret that and write about it. Otherwise follow through on your aspirations.
no regrets – they aren’t fuel they are only regrets, what is more fueling? a regret or something done, lived through and possibly failed at?
If I spent my life regretting that I had not gone off to Chicago and lived with that woman who I so fancied I might have gotten one or two poems or stories out of it – instead I got hundreds of poems and several stories. She broke my heart and the memory hurts badly everyday, but I have no regrets about it.
desire is the next thing that I will try and not regret for not having tried it.
writing about regret is much akin to writing greeting cards.
I could go on and on about why dyer is wrong here, I can only agree if you long to murder or something worse and you live long regretting that you had not done so. Yeah, regret that and write about it. Otherwise follow through on your aspirations.
I used to be a terrible reader, too. I was really slow, so that’s mainly what discouraged me. But if you start forcing yourself to do it, you discover how much you’ve been missing, and how enjoyable and relaxing it is. Plus, it improves your writing so much, it’s kind of incredible. Anyway, I’m not trying to preach or anything, but I just want to say that I can totally relate!
I used to be a terrible reader, too. I was really slow, so that’s mainly what discouraged me. But if you start forcing yourself to do it, you discover how much you’ve been missing, and how enjoyable and relaxing it is. Plus, it improves your writing so much, it’s kind of incredible. Anyway, I’m not trying to preach or anything, but I just want to say that I can totally relate!
I used to be a terrible reader, too. I was really slow, so that’s mainly what discouraged me. But if you start forcing yourself to do it, you discover how much you’ve been missing, and how enjoyable and relaxing it is. Plus, it improves your writing so much, it’s kind of incredible. Anyway, I’m not trying to preach or anything, but I just want to say that I can totally relate!
This is the best one:
“2 Ted Hughes gave me this advice and it works wonders: record moments, fleeting impressions, overheard dialogue, your own sadnesses and bewilderments and joys.”
This is the best one:
“2 Ted Hughes gave me this advice and it works wonders: record moments, fleeting impressions, overheard dialogue, your own sadnesses and bewilderments and joys.”
This is the best one:
“2 Ted Hughes gave me this advice and it works wonders: record moments, fleeting impressions, overheard dialogue, your own sadnesses and bewilderments and joys.”
Really? It distracts the hell out of me. At work I spend probably five hours a day on the internet, not writing.
Really? It distracts the hell out of me. At work I spend probably five hours a day on the internet, not writing.
Really? It distracts the hell out of me. At work I spend probably five hours a day on the internet, not writing.
me too.
me too.
me too.
i really like Richard Ford’s
i really like Richard Ford’s
i really like Richard Ford’s
i regret the impossible
i regret the impossible
i regret the impossible
1. Never let no one know how much pubs you hold cause you know….that credit breeds jealousy
2. Never let em know your next submission.
3. Never trust nobody.
4. Know you’ve heard this before, but never writer reviews on books from your crew.
5. Never write no poems where you rest at (don’t care if its a haiku, make it shoo).
6. That Goddamn credit, dead it! You think a indielit kid is gonna edit your story later? Forget it.
7. This rule is so underrated: keep your family and fiction completely seperated.
8. Always keep a journal on you.
9. Shoulda been number 1 for me, if you ain’t getting acceptances stay the fuck from print mags.
10. A strong word called online blogs, if you ain’t getting the green say hell no.
1. Never let no one know how much pubs you hold cause you know….that credit breeds jealousy
2. Never let em know your next submission.
3. Never trust nobody.
4. Know you’ve heard this before, but never writer reviews on books from your crew.
5. Never write no poems where you rest at (don’t care if its a haiku, make it shoo).
6. That Goddamn credit, dead it! You think a indielit kid is gonna edit your story later? Forget it.
7. This rule is so underrated: keep your family and fiction completely seperated.
8. Always keep a journal on you.
9. Shoulda been number 1 for me, if you ain’t getting acceptances stay the fuck from print mags.
10. A strong word called online blogs, if you ain’t getting the green say hell no.
1. Never let no one know how much pubs you hold cause you know….that credit breeds jealousy
2. Never let em know your next submission.
3. Never trust nobody.
4. Know you’ve heard this before, but never writer reviews on books from your crew.
5. Never write no poems where you rest at (don’t care if its a haiku, make it shoo).
6. That Goddamn credit, dead it! You think a indielit kid is gonna edit your story later? Forget it.
7. This rule is so underrated: keep your family and fiction completely seperated.
8. Always keep a journal on you.
9. Shoulda been number 1 for me, if you ain’t getting acceptances stay the fuck from print mags.
10. A strong word called online blogs, if you ain’t getting the green say hell no.
Best thing on here ever.
Best thing on here ever.
Best thing on here ever.
I hardly ever use this word, but MEH…ours was better. Way better.
I hardly ever use this word, but MEH…ours was better. Way better.
I hardly ever use this word, but MEH…ours was better. Way better.
Write what you don’t know.
Write what you don’t know.
Write what you don’t know.
An underrated rule.
An underrated rule.
An underrated rule.
write words on paper
Don’t throw away paper unless you’ve checked it for words
when a lot of paper has a lot of words on them, check to see if the words can be combined
combine the words from paper on a computer
get drunk sometimes
move the words on the computer around on the digital page
read
steal words
print the words on real paper sometimes to make sure they make sense
always have a uniball vision exact in my pocket
write words on paper
Don’t throw away paper unless you’ve checked it for words
when a lot of paper has a lot of words on them, check to see if the words can be combined
combine the words from paper on a computer
get drunk sometimes
move the words on the computer around on the digital page
read
steal words
print the words on real paper sometimes to make sure they make sense
always have a uniball vision exact in my pocket
write words on paper
Don’t throw away paper unless you’ve checked it for words
when a lot of paper has a lot of words on them, check to see if the words can be combined
combine the words from paper on a computer
get drunk sometimes
move the words on the computer around on the digital page
read
steal words
print the words on real paper sometimes to make sure they make sense
always have a uniball vision exact in my pocket
really enjoyed reading these
thanks roxane
i hate rules about which parts of speech to avoid
i like encountering writing that uses taboo words freshly
write a fucking adverb gerund novella
this is english. language is there to eat and people are starving in suriname creole
only rule is to break all existing rules
then break all your own
really enjoyed reading these
thanks roxane
i hate rules about which parts of speech to avoid
i like encountering writing that uses taboo words freshly
write a fucking adverb gerund novella
this is english. language is there to eat and people are starving in suriname creole
only rule is to break all existing rules
then break all your own
really enjoyed reading these
thanks roxane
i hate rules about which parts of speech to avoid
i like encountering writing that uses taboo words freshly
write a fucking adverb gerund novella
this is english. language is there to eat and people are starving in suriname creole
only rule is to break all existing rules
then break all your own
if you’re sick, write.
if you’re sick, write.
if you’re sick, write.
There are no rules.
There are no rules.
There are no rules.
Agreed. It is the only real rule for writing; the rest are shit–uselessly prescriptive. Any personal ‘rules’ you as an artist need will evolve from your reading.
In my opinion it is more important than writing every day. Read a lot, read way more than you write, read until exhaustion, utterly immerse yourself in literature–and then maybe you can write, if you have the strength. Writing every day without reading enough will only result in shit, bad shit.
I think it’s best to read early and late in the day. Lets you dream on it, lets your subconscious’s echo chamber of haphazard thoughts mull it around through the day–
In my writing classes I’m always amazed by how many writers literally don’t read. They go the entire winter break and don’t read a single book.
Agreed. It is the only real rule for writing; the rest are shit–uselessly prescriptive. Any personal ‘rules’ you as an artist need will evolve from your reading.
In my opinion it is more important than writing every day. Read a lot, read way more than you write, read until exhaustion, utterly immerse yourself in literature–and then maybe you can write, if you have the strength. Writing every day without reading enough will only result in shit, bad shit.
I think it’s best to read early and late in the day. Lets you dream on it, lets your subconscious’s echo chamber of haphazard thoughts mull it around through the day–
In my writing classes I’m always amazed by how many writers literally don’t read. They go the entire winter break and don’t read a single book.
Agreed. It is the only real rule for writing; the rest are shit–uselessly prescriptive. Any personal ‘rules’ you as an artist need will evolve from your reading.
In my opinion it is more important than writing every day. Read a lot, read way more than you write, read until exhaustion, utterly immerse yourself in literature–and then maybe you can write, if you have the strength. Writing every day without reading enough will only result in shit, bad shit.
I think it’s best to read early and late in the day. Lets you dream on it, lets your subconscious’s echo chamber of haphazard thoughts mull it around through the day–
In my writing classes I’m always amazed by how many writers literally don’t read. They go the entire winter break and don’t read a single book.
“Good health makes too close an alliance between the soul and the body.”–Francis Bacon
“Good health makes too close an alliance between the soul and the body.”–Francis Bacon
“Good health makes too close an alliance between the soul and the body.”–Francis Bacon
I like, write you don’t know about what you know…..I think FOC or Welty said that.
I like, write you don’t know about what you know…..I think FOC or Welty said that.
I like, write you don’t know about what you know…..I think FOC or Welty said that.
I mostly agree, but then again, I remember when I was younger that I would actually use reading as a crutch, I’d tell myself, “you will not write a word until you read the top 100 novels ever, according to Time Magazine.”
Also, sometimes, if I’m reading something I really like, it makes me want to put the book down and write. Anyone else have this problem? “Hey, I can do that too!”
I mostly agree, but then again, I remember when I was younger that I would actually use reading as a crutch, I’d tell myself, “you will not write a word until you read the top 100 novels ever, according to Time Magazine.”
Also, sometimes, if I’m reading something I really like, it makes me want to put the book down and write. Anyone else have this problem? “Hey, I can do that too!”
I mostly agree, but then again, I remember when I was younger that I would actually use reading as a crutch, I’d tell myself, “you will not write a word until you read the top 100 novels ever, according to Time Magazine.”
Also, sometimes, if I’m reading something I really like, it makes me want to put the book down and write. Anyone else have this problem? “Hey, I can do that too!”
*write what you don’t know about what you know
*write what you don’t know about what you know
*write what you don’t know about what you know
Yeah, I almost snuck back in here and qualified my post with something like that, but I didn’t want to bore everyone with my dithering.
I think, ideally, you both read and write quite a lot everyday. Both are activities that benefit that weird “in the zone” effect that daily practice of any activity imbues. But if you’ve got to skimp on one, I’d skimp on the writing.
And there’s probably an prescriptive, idiosyncratic element to that: I find myself physically incapable of writing if I don’t have the ‘echo chamber’ effect of something I’ve read lately bouncing around in my midbrain–it’s just no fun, I feel less connected to the words/characters, and I wind up clipping my nails or something.
But I think the advice holds up generally. Intense loving reading solves so many of the problems we hit in our projects as writers. . . .
Yeah, I almost snuck back in here and qualified my post with something like that, but I didn’t want to bore everyone with my dithering.
I think, ideally, you both read and write quite a lot everyday. Both are activities that benefit that weird “in the zone” effect that daily practice of any activity imbues. But if you’ve got to skimp on one, I’d skimp on the writing.
And there’s probably an prescriptive, idiosyncratic element to that: I find myself physically incapable of writing if I don’t have the ‘echo chamber’ effect of something I’ve read lately bouncing around in my midbrain–it’s just no fun, I feel less connected to the words/characters, and I wind up clipping my nails or something.
But I think the advice holds up generally. Intense loving reading solves so many of the problems we hit in our projects as writers. . . .
Yeah, I almost snuck back in here and qualified my post with something like that, but I didn’t want to bore everyone with my dithering.
I think, ideally, you both read and write quite a lot everyday. Both are activities that benefit that weird “in the zone” effect that daily practice of any activity imbues. But if you’ve got to skimp on one, I’d skimp on the writing.
And there’s probably an prescriptive, idiosyncratic element to that: I find myself physically incapable of writing if I don’t have the ‘echo chamber’ effect of something I’ve read lately bouncing around in my midbrain–it’s just no fun, I feel less connected to the words/characters, and I wind up clipping my nails or something.
But I think the advice holds up generally. Intense loving reading solves so many of the problems we hit in our projects as writers. . . .
pd james said it better than i could, with this:
3 Don’t just plan to write – write. It is only by writing, not dreaming about it, that we develop our own style.
pd james said it better than i could, with this:
3 Don’t just plan to write – write. It is only by writing, not dreaming about it, that we develop our own style.