Hi everyone - Blogger, Google and my blog are all fighting with me. I have visited several of your blogs but I can't sign in to comment. Since there isn't a human at Blogger to ever talk to I can't get help. I can't even sign into my own blog. Somehow it's been connected to someone else's blog and I have to go through hers to get into here. So I am not ignoring your posts.
None of them. Simply because they don't exist. There are Rules of Grammar. **Place a period at the end of a sentence. Start a sentence with a capital. I won't mention commas as the Oxford Comma row could start a small war.**
But Rules of Writing don't exist. There is no secret tome hidden in a cave deep in the Swiss Alps guarded by fire-breathing dragons and mystical Jedi.
I did an internet search of rules of writing. Then clicked images to make it an easier visual -10 rules, 3 rules, Stephen King's rules. The list goes on and on.
15 years ago when I first dipped a toe into this literary world, a person at the critique group I found used to - very arrogantly - moan - why can't beginner's just learn the rules of writing before they join? I'd ask her what they were. And she never replied. NO ONE ever explained them to me. As I researched them I became more confused and terrified to write. The list of Don't Do's and Never-Use-These-Words and so on was overwhelming.
Then it dawned on me. The rules of writing depend on the writer. The problem between "arrogant critique lady" and myself was our styles of writing are very different. And she was unable to accept a style that was not like hers.
Example - We both write romance. In her stories, the hero is always a "good guy". In several of mine - he's a bit of a bad boy, but true loves turns him around. She could not cope with the "bad boy" idea. She even stated what I wrote was wrong. It broke writing rules.
Then I found the famous quote by W. Somerset Maugham
I do have one writing guideline that I place on myself. Note - guideline - not rule. Rules are too easy to break.
My personal guideline - Try not to bore the reader.
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I suppose there are basic rules of grammar, show don't tell, and yes, don't bore the reader. The reader will soon tell you if they're bored or not, lol.
ReplyDeleteYes, basic rules of grammar. And definitely don't bore the reader.
DeleteThat's my sort of answer. There are too many self appointed experts for my liking.
ReplyDeleteWaay to many self-appointed experts.
DeleteI like your use of guidelines. When I critique a story, I try to keep my suggestions away from style and stick to things like words and sentences that don't work.
ReplyDeleteYou sound like a good critiquer.
ReplyDeleteGeesh - I was marked as anonymous on my own blog.
Delete