Jessica Russell's Blog - Posts Tagged "rules"
This is NOT How it’s Done
The best advice I can give any aspiring novelist is to, through trial and error, learn how to sift through all the “rules” and figure out which ones are breakable. Yes, some are made to be broken. The fine line is… which ones? I’ve seen new writers make horrible mistakes because they broke some of the rules, and I've seen new writers make horrible mistakes because they FOLLOWED some of the rules.
Yes, it is difficult to know the difference sometimes, but not ALL rules apply to every novel. Creative writing courses will tell you that EVERYTHING is a formula, and the formula must always be followed. For example, “the subplot should be introduced in chapter four.” Always? Really?
Of course not.
I couldn’t do that in my novel. For one thing, mine really didn’t have chapters per se, it had sections. It was more or less up to the reader to decide when to stop and start reading. I did that to avoid readers missing what’s most important: it’s my humble opinion that one of the worst things that happens when you’re reading a book is when you start to get fatigued and you say “okay, well, let me just get to the end of this chapter.” You’re actually too fatigued to keep going and should stop right there. But we’re programmed to think we have to finish the chapter we’re on and I didn’t want people skimming because you miss too much in my book if you skim. So that was one rule that sure didn’t work for me.
Other rules are a bit more important. Like understanding how to make a book flow. You can know how to write wonderful sentences and terrific paragraphs, but still not know how to write a book. Writing a novel is an art form, and you have to understand how to keep it flowing and keep your readers engaged. Otherwise even the best plot will just go flat.
Ultimately however, it’s actually up to the writer to decide which rules to break and which ones to follow. The type of story you’ve come up with may not fit the typical “formulas” that every editor thinks a book must have. It’s knowing when to stick with the tried-and-true methods and knowing when to go out on a limb, and unfortunately, no one else can tell you that. But don’t be afraid to rattle some cages and break a few rules, because as the old saying goes, “nothing ventured nothing gained.” Write on!
Yes, it is difficult to know the difference sometimes, but not ALL rules apply to every novel. Creative writing courses will tell you that EVERYTHING is a formula, and the formula must always be followed. For example, “the subplot should be introduced in chapter four.” Always? Really?
Of course not.
I couldn’t do that in my novel. For one thing, mine really didn’t have chapters per se, it had sections. It was more or less up to the reader to decide when to stop and start reading. I did that to avoid readers missing what’s most important: it’s my humble opinion that one of the worst things that happens when you’re reading a book is when you start to get fatigued and you say “okay, well, let me just get to the end of this chapter.” You’re actually too fatigued to keep going and should stop right there. But we’re programmed to think we have to finish the chapter we’re on and I didn’t want people skimming because you miss too much in my book if you skim. So that was one rule that sure didn’t work for me.
Other rules are a bit more important. Like understanding how to make a book flow. You can know how to write wonderful sentences and terrific paragraphs, but still not know how to write a book. Writing a novel is an art form, and you have to understand how to keep it flowing and keep your readers engaged. Otherwise even the best plot will just go flat.
Ultimately however, it’s actually up to the writer to decide which rules to break and which ones to follow. The type of story you’ve come up with may not fit the typical “formulas” that every editor thinks a book must have. It’s knowing when to stick with the tried-and-true methods and knowing when to go out on a limb, and unfortunately, no one else can tell you that. But don’t be afraid to rattle some cages and break a few rules, because as the old saying goes, “nothing ventured nothing gained.” Write on!
