There is a lot of debate among writers, amateur and professional, new and old, on whether there is a definitive set of rules that can be applied to the craft of writing. With the vast array of genres and offerings of experimental literature, no one set of rules can be set in stone to serve all. However, we can look at all the proposed lists and pages of advice offered by some of the greatest authors in history and sift through the mounds to find a few shared opinions. A daunting task, but possibly a worthwhile one.
I was asked to teach a writing course by a local establishment and thought it would be a good idea to offer a set of universal guidelines for the first class. Having just finished reading a cluster of books on writing including, Zen and the Art of Writing by Ray Bradbury, Wonderbook by Jeff Vandermeer, and On Writing by Stephen King, I noticed a few similarities they all shared. This led me to hunting down as many “writing rules” I could find and compiling them all into a single document. It was a long document. What follows is a list of brief statements gleaned from the vast amount of advice I compiled. The statements are simple in an attempt to offer the core of what numerous literary luminaries have said or recorded through the decades.
- Read a lot
- Write a lot
- Writing is Revision
- Make every word matter
- Have Patience
- Practice Discipline
- It’s not a race against others. It’s a marathon against yourself.
The first two, Read and Write a lot are two of the most important of the group. Without these locked firmly in your mind, a writer will have neither the tools nor the practice to improve.
Note: For those of you who attend writing conferences, always be sure to exclude these two statements from the available answers to the question, “What piece of advice would you give hopeful authors?” Almost every writer I know will immediately reply with one of these two statements. Don’t let them. Make them think of something more.
Embrace the process of revision. I dread the revision phase, but it is necessary and only serves to improve anything you create.
Make every word matter is a shared concept thought often stately in a myriad of ways. Every word choice matters. Why use one word where another may tell the reader more about the character. Be thoughtful of the words you use. Be specific.
The last three all interlock. Every writer needs patience and discipline. The ability to sit in front of a computer, writing and rewriting can be draining and heart wrenching at times. Have patience that the right words will come, have discipline to keep working, to keep digging until you find them, and don’t rush the process. This is a marathon. Writing takes a great deal of time and publishing can take even longer.
Even without COVID or lockdown, new stressors will crop up and try to drag us down. Be kind to yourself and remember to keep going. As Stephen King once said:
EDIT: I changed the title away from Rules for Writing to Guidelines of Writing. I feel it’s an important distinction and one I will address in a future blog post.