Rules for Writing
Tue, 2003-04-01 18:01
#1
Rules for Writing
Rules for writing.
1. If a word isn’t interfering with the story, what’s it doing on the page?
2. Leave out as many boring bits as possible.
3. Actions speak louder than words.
4. Words speak for themselves.
5. Descriptions don’t speak at all, not really.
6. It’s a story, it’s not your life.
7. Always have a beginning, a middle and an end. But not necessarily in that order.
8. Read these books in this order: Goodbye to Berlin, Christopher Isherwood. The Postman Always Rings Twice, James M. Cain. Post Office, Charles Bukowski. A Confederate General From Big Sur, Richard Brautigan. Ask The Dust, John Fante. Absent Kisses, Frances Gapper. Spitting Off Tall Buildings, Dan Fante. The Lonely Hearts Club, Raul Nunez. The Insult, Rupert Thomson.
9. Drink plenty of coffee.
10. Live!
cleveland w. gibson
There are other rules, as well.
But what about creativity>
Abby
I kinda disagree, except for number ten. For starters I own a big dog! Secondly I ADORE a good chunk of description and also I think that a story can be just as good, and maybe even more thought provocking without a clear ending.
Have you read The Beach by Alex Garland and Noughts and Crosses by Malorie Blackman? If not, I can't recommend them enough! But you needn't read them in that order.
drew gummerson
Oh one more,
If the muse comes then kiss its ass!!!!
david floyd
12. avoid big dogs
gail
I always avoid big dogs. Trouble is, there's a lot of them around, usually hanging around the bus stop.
rossco_the_second
I hate rules too. I think I became a bit obsessed with finding my own tick-a-box method of becoming a writer - if you folow these rules then you'll be a success.
I think we'll ALL agree that being a writer is a craft, not an art, and thus requires all the hard work that comes with getting your stories onto paper.
However, one rule that I try to abide by more than any other is "Show, don't tell."
And I like dogs. Big cats too!
Daz
Another rule.........
Descent into madness & let your imagination flow.........
the weirder the result the more fun I have with it :)
Good Karma Peeps
Daz
P.S. Big dogs are fun.....but cats......they are REALLY interesting.
Hen
I can't abide by these kind of rules. Except coffee. But I really like descriptions, you see, and if I want tight, arresting plots I'll get a thriller from the video shop next door.
Dan Fante's been in the same publication as me, incidentally. He seemed a bit crap, but in a neat way. Writes stuff like, "Here I am in a hotel writing another @!#$ poem."
s.d
Hen,
what you might mean is that 'You have been in the same publication as Dan Fante'.
regards
d.beswetherick
This thread encapsulates the problem with this particular forum: perhaps writers' natural uneasiness about rules makes them reluctant to give or accept "writing tips". I'm sure that Drew posted this list to trigger discussion: so, where are the other lists?
There's nothing I'd rather discuss on the ABC forums than writing craft, but this forum's an uncomfortable place to do it, I fear. Everything you say feels compromised by its title.
For the record, I agree with all Drew's rules except the one about description - because descriptions do speak, in my opinion. Where would Chandler's books be without his wonderful pocket descriptions of characters? It's over-description that's the problem, and that could come under "boring bits".
*
Interesting book list. Rupert Thomson was in my class at school. I wonder if our shared addiction to OTT metaphor derives from the brilliant "A" Level teaching we had from three young teachers, who took us through Plath, Herbert, Marvell, Pope, Hardy, Middleton, cummings, Hopkins, Eliot, and Vanbrugh, among others.
kenochi
Correction - rule for writing
1. Ignore anyone who starts banging on about rules
You must think you're a real big-shot, Drew.
Hen
s.d .... your post is over a year late. Are you correcting my grammar, or trying to put me in my place?
Hen
Well, he is published...