My Writing Rules
Writing and reading are two of my absolutely favorite things. Additionally, I love reading about writing and writing about what I read. I don’t actually write enough about what I read, and I should do it more, but here’s a review of a Star Wars novel I read earlier this year.
Part of that probably has to do with the fact that other than Star Wars novels, I don’t read many brand-new releases. However, I am internally scolding myself for not reviewing Path of Vengence, Rise of the Red Blade, and Battle Scars (If you are a Star Wars fan and haven’t read Rise of the Red Blade, you need to. I finished it in less than a day).
One of my current reads is Next! The Power of Reinvention in Life and Work by Joanne Lipman. I highly recommend it, even if you are completely content in your career or life, because it is a book that just gets you thinking and the wheels turning.
What it had me thinking about was if I could have any career in the world, what would it be? And, unfortunately, I considered this for only actual careers on this planet, meaning Jedi was off the table.
Probably not to anyone’s surprise, but I thought firefighter. Being a paid firefighter would be the dream. I never really thought it would be the path for me, for a variety of reasons - and I’m thankful I didn’t pursue a physical career considering the constant leg pain I currently live with.
The only other career I could think of was as a writer.
Which, obviously, I already am. But, of course, there are many different paths to take as a writer, and as I am currently unemployed, this is something I think about quite a bit. However, being on the job search also has me consistently examining and evaluating my own writing skills and looking to enhance my skills. One great way to accomplish this is by reading about writing.
Once upon a time, I wrote a blog post saying I would write about the books on writing and other professional books I was reading. That didn’t happen. But that blog post does give a nice overview of the various industry books on my bookshelves, although I have added a few since then. I’ve read at least a bit on each of these, but some fall more under the guide column. Regardless, I don’t plan on stopping my reading about writing habit anytime soon.
With these books and the numerous articles out there from personal blogs, Medium, LinkedIn, and every other possible published webpage, there are countless rules about writing. Rules that’ll make you money quickly (No, it won’t), that will get you published, respected, noticed, all of the above
How the hell is any one person supposed to keep track of all these rules, let alone follow them? Who even has the authority to write these rules?
It is a lot. Overwhelming, even. But reading about so many different rules has made me consider what my rules are. So here we go!
My Writing Rules
And I’m not talking about grammar and whatnot here. Rather, it focuses more on style and what goes into being a writer. Writing is so much more than having an idea and grammar skills to put it together. Putting words on a page is just one part of it.
Don’t start two sentences in one paragraph with the same word.
I can thank my 10th-grade Honors English teacher, Mr. Schott, for this one. I’ve taken quite a few writing and English classes (seeing as I have a degree in English), but this is the one rule that has stayed with me for 16ish (ugh) years now. Also - I don’t think I’ve ever heard anyone else say it. Don’t start two sentences in one paragraph with the same word.
Of course, I’m guilty of breaking this rule - maybe even in this blog post. But it is something I try to stay cognizant of. Recently, I was reading an article in a public administration journal, and four sentences back-to-back started with “There are.” It stood out to me like a sore thumb.
For me, following this rule is also an important part of my editing process and makes me more aware of my style and syntax. It isn’t always the easiest rule to follow - but I just combined the previous sentence so I could avoid two sentences starting with “it.”
Typically, this isn’t something that will make or break your writing. But I feel it is something that helps me become a better writer. I have to think a little bit more, not just about how I’m writing something but why. So it can be an exercise in creativity. At this point though, it is pretty much ingrained in my head so I don’t see myself not doing this anytime soon.
Read
I firmly believe that you cannot be a quality writer if you don’t read. When you write, you are expanding your reader’s world. When you read, you are expanding your own world (Aaaand I broke rule number 1).
No matter what you are reading, it can be a learning experience. James Patterson and Stephen King both have dozens of bestsellers; they must be doing something right. You could have their step-by-step process, but to learn what works, you need to see it in action - as in, reading their books. Now, their voice isn’t your voice. But maybe you can learn something about writing for their audience. And what you like and dislike as a reader is important to know for your own writing process.
I have been reading more fantasy and more crime-related novels because I have ideas for a fantasy novel and a police procedural (two separate stories). On my bookshelf are books on writing fiction, writing sci-fi/fantasy, and writing mysteries. However, as I was reading a fantasy novel, one thing that stood out to me was how descriptive the novel was. Seeing it in action helped the light bulb go off.
Stephen King discussed this in his book On Writing (Interestingly, this was the first King book I read - and it led me to go on a King novel binge!):
“You have to read widely, constantly refining (and redefining) your own work as you do so. It’s hard for me to believe that people who read very little (or not at all in some cases) should presume to write and expect people to like what they have written, but I know it’s true. If I had a nickel for every person who ever told me he/she wanted to become a writer but ‘didn’t have time to read,’ I could buy myself a pretty good steak dinner. Can I be blunt on this subject? If you don’t have the time to read, you don’t have the time (or the tools) to write. Simple as that.”
For firefighting training, the instructors would demonstrate the practical skill before the students would give it a go. When you’re reading someone else’s work, that’s the demonstration.
I kind of have a weekly routine for my current unemployed situation for job search and professional development activities. It includes reading; I subscribe to a variety of email newsletters, I creep through LinkedIn, and I save articles to my Pocket app from their email suggestions. Of course, some of this reading is about job search tips or industry updates (Digital marketing and AI reign supreme). But I also want to know what people are writing about. Inspiration can be found in surprising places!
Reading sparks the imagination. That is pretty crucial for a writer.
There are no rules / You make the rules.
You might be thinking, “What the hell, Tori? You just explained rules, and now you’re saying there aren’t rules?”
Eh, kind of, not really. When you are the writer, there is only you. There’s me, there’s you, there’s James Joyce, Cavan Scott, Doris Kearns Goodwin*, and potentially an infinite number of other writers and none of us are the same.
*Note: Yes, those writers are listed are a few of my favorites.
What works for me might not work for you. Maybe someone likes your style and then shares, celebrates, or even pays for your writing, but then you share your writing rules and they can’t make sense of it. That doesn’t devalue it at all. What works for you?
Many stories share the same elements - like the Hero’s Journey (I love the Reedsy blog) - but the details are what set them apart.
The rules don’t always work in your favor, however. Maybe that extensive amount of detail in the fantasy novel overwhelms or bores the reader instead of helping place them in the story. “Rules are meant to be broken” is definitely something to keep in your back pocket when you’re writing.
Ultimately, the point of this blog post is to think about your writing style and writing advice. Just because it doesn’t fit you doesn’t mean it’s wrong - but sometimes it is something to consider. Writing is a constantly evolving process. It is important for the writer to remain flexible.
I think maybe this is why I enjoy reading about writing. It gets the creative juices flowing. To be honest, I don’t have a specific writing routine. For one, it absolutely sucks how much chronic pain affects my productvity and writing. Big time brain fog.
Still, I keep notebooks everywhere so that if I think of something, I can write it down. Because, for me, physically writing it down helps cement the thought in my mind, as opposed to typing a note on my phone.
There are great articles on there on writing rules and on breaking those rules - there are two on breaking the rules I enjoyed; here and here.
Finally - what are your writing rules? I’d love to know!
