Tuesday, October 8, 2013

Ten "Rules" for Writing

After reading Elmore Leonard's "10 Rules for Writing," some members of WriteOn Joliet accepted a challenge to write ten rules that work for them.

So without further ado, here are my ten:

1) Pick a topic that will excite you for the duration of the piece. In the case of a novel, you will be thinking about that topic for a very, very, very long time, so choose wisely.

2) Whether I'm writing features or fiction, a good plot is important, especially when rich characters drive it. With non fiction, I spend enough time with a person to ensure I represent them well. With fiction, I carefully build layers and nuances into characters so they "feel" real to the reader.

3)You'll never please everyone. Pick an audience of one (I'm the toughest sell, so I usually pick me) and write to please that person.

4) Respect your reader by crafting your very best story.

5) Respect yourself enough to craft YOUR very best story, not a cheap mirage of someone else's, no matter how much you admire another author's work.

6) Give your reader a reason to turn another page.

7) Banish your inner editors while writing the first draft.

8) Remember you can write that first draft hundreds of times.

9) Once you have a working draft, enjoy the rewriting (and rewriting and writing) stage. The hardest work is done; the story is on the page. Now's to prune and refine so your story shines.

10) Learn something new about writing or the publishing industry today that you didn't know yesterday.

As far as Staked! goes, I'm still playing catchup, but I hope to edit a couple more chapters tonight.
 

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