Only Opinions

After reading an exhaustive list of famous writers' Rules for Writing, I've discovered that these people have absolutely no idea what they're talking about. Am I allowed to say that? Sure, they've written best-selling novels, but I'm not convinced their know-it-all advice is sound.

Writing has rules, indeed. That's an indisputable fact. However, after figuring out that verbs follow nouns, and learning where to place commas and quotations marks, it becomes all about a writer's personal style. And style does not have rules.

If style had rules, every single book at Barnes & Noble would be identical, and readers would have grown weary of reading way back in the 1700's. It's Jane Austen's style that separates Pride & Prejudice from Huckleberry Finn. And it's Mark Twain's style that distances Huckleberry Finn from Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes.

In this particular list, one writer insisted I must: "Never use an adverb to modify the verb "said"...he admonished gravely. To use an adverb this way or any other way is a mortal sin." One question, sir: If you're going to use the verb "said" for every single sentence of your entire novel (which some authors believe is the ONLY way) wouldn't you want to spice it up with an adverb every now and then?

Another declared vehemently (ha!) to: "Never use the word "then" as a conjuction - we have "and" for this purpose. Substituting "then" is the lazy or tone deaf writer's non-solution to the problem of too many "ands" on the page." I beg to differ.

While still a third said: "Write in third person unless a really distinctive first person voice offers itself irrestistibly."

These are not rules at all. They are merely suggestions from authors who discovered using adverbs, "then", and first person voice did not work for them. But they may work for me.

I'll conclude, admitting that there were some solid pieces of advice amidst these do's and don'ts, such as "Finish the day writing when you still want to continue" and "Read aloud what you've written" and "The way to write a book is to actually write a book".


Novel update: 7 chapters completed (I combined 7 and 8) with 252 days to go.

Chocolate Ideas

Recently, I read a blog post from my favorite (live) author, Gail Carson Levine. She was answering a fan's question about coming up with "good ideas" for stories. Levine said, "In my opinion, the most important word in Katie’s question is good, which is a stifling word, especially when you’re in the idea stage. My definition of a good idea is an idea that makes me think of more ideas." She went on, "It may feel stupid, for example, to write a story about a girl with an enormous left thumb. So you abandon the idea and feel hopeless about ideas. But suppose you don't abandon that thumb and let your mind roam."

I took this thought a step further, and began imagining stories for everything! One night, while the rest of my family consumed a "real" dinner, I got out the cutting board, cut off a portion of my chocolate Easter bunny, and proceeded to eat it. I thought, "Wouldn't it be interesting if there was a girl who could only eat chocolate and nothing else?" A silly idea, yes. A great story, perhaps.

I continued on when I received an invitation for a rather interesting birthday party. I showed it to my brother, and said, "Doesn't that sound like the beginning of a movie?" He and I ended up staying awake until after midnight, creating an elaborate story based off this birthday invitation - complete with dialogue, costuming, character development, and location.

I never realized how many story ideas were just lying around - waiting to be picked up and written!

Impressions

First impressions are fascinating things. They're usually wrong, and severely exaggerated. But they're, oh, so, fun to make! I enjoy starting a new job, going to a new school, or beginning a new hobby. You start afresh with an entirely clean slate and you can be whoever you want to be. That's not to say, you change yourself, for values and principles remain. Rather, you change other people's perspectives about you, and, in doing so, create sort of a book character. But for yourself.

If, for instance, in college, people viewed you as the frightened timid creature in the corner (because, let's face it, you were), you no longer have to be that to the people in your new office. Unless you want to be, of course. You are, therefore, changing your personal label. By strutting confidently in the office door that first day, you will seem bold and courageous. You will then feel bold and courageous and, finally, you will actually be bold and courageous to the people around you and to yourself.

It all begins with a "first impression", and you'll never have a second chance to make one.


Novel update:
6 chapters complete, 263 days to go.

Wayward Fledglings

Characters are like children. Ornery at times, accomadating at others. But, mainly, impossible. Yet, despite their willfullness, I adore them because they are mine. From infancy, I've trained, groomed, and polished them to be released into a treacherous and critical world. Like reckless young adults, they test their boundaries - rarely, if ever, following my advice. Usually, they disregard my instruction, traverse dark paths, and get themselves into endless heaps of trouble that send my tale into a tumult. And, I must pick my young foolish characters up again, dust them off, bandange their wounds, and send them onward with a kiss. Almost always, I learn something about them I never knew before - whether it be a talent, a flaw, or an untold history - and the story is all the stronger for it.

A Worthy Conquest

MY CHALLENGE:
To complete an entire novel in 365 days.

5 chapters finished, with the story skeleton assembled.
97 days complete. 268 days to go.