The No Rules Handbook for Writers: (Know the Rules So You Can Break Them)

by Lisa Goldman

Shortlisted as one of The Stage 's top 10 training books of 2012

The No Rules Handbook for Writers is a timely, creative and refreshing antidote to prescriptive guides for writers. It will inspire playwrights, screenwriters and novelists; offer fresh insights toteachers, editors, dramaturgs, directors and producers.

Lisa Goldman takes 40 established conventions of creative writing. She explores why these rules persist, how to master them, bend or break them and why the most important rules to overturn are your own. The book weaves together industry experiences, psychological observations and inspirational tips. With practical advice from 40 rule-breaking

Hassan Abdulrazzak, Oladipo Agboluaje, Ronan Bennett, Sita Bramachari, Trevor Byrne, Anthony Cartwright, Matthew Greenhalgh, Tanika Gupta, Neil Hunter, M.J. Hyland, Gurpreet Kaur Bhatti, Dennis Kelly, Bryony Lavery, Chris Paling, Stacy Makishi, Neel Mukherjee, Hattie Naylor, Anthony Neilson, Kim Noble, Tom Palmer, Lucy Prebble, Philip Ridley, Paul Sirett, Edmund White, Roy Williams.

The No Rules Handbook for Writers will be a valuable read for anyone curious about the craft, context and process of writing.

Genres: Writing, Reference, Nonfiction

264 pages, Paperback

First published April 10, 2012

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

Reviews

[Julie Thomason · Rating 5 out of 5]

This could be titled the Yin Yang rules to writing. I have had this on my to read shelf for a while and am often in two minds re ‘how to write books’ while on projects. I found this to be useful and thought-provoking taking some of the current standards such as the ‘show don’t tell’ maxim examining them and then giving a Confucius style opposite. It is very useful for reflecting on the creative process - a constructive addition to the writers bookshelf.

[Billy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the best guidebook for writers I have come across. It's written with a great deal of openness regarding the highs and lows of the industry, with many anecdotal experiences drawn from the author's own experience. You can tell Ms. Goldman is passionate about the craft and her dissection of the various 'rules' we often see touted in writing workshops and guidebooks will no doubt give you inspiration when approaching your next work as a writer.

[Diana · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Alice · Rating 3 out of 5]

I put this book aside for a while; I wasn't finding it helpful, and the author's style was irritating me. Then I picked it up again and found that the next chapter was exactly what I needed for the story I was writing, so I felt better-disposed towards it. The book is geared more towards script- and screenwriters, but there is useful stuff for novelists too. I liked the structure, with each chapter stating a rule, e.g. "Show, don't tell", discussing it, and presenting a revised rule at the end. I didn't necessarily agree with all the conclusions, but this is the 'no rules' book, so I don't have to go along with them...

[Michele · Rating 3 out of 5]

From the perspective of a novice this book is very useful. It certainly gave me a few points to review for my own project and has really got me thinking about certain aspects, which I otherwise might have had to change at a later stage. Ultimately as the title states, there are many unwritten rules and there are good reasons to break all of them. If you, like me, are starting out and want to know what they are then this is a good place to start.

[Ming · Rating 3 out of 5]

More a reminder or reaffirmation of what I already know or believe. Offers up some alternative viewpoints. All in all, probably more useful for someone starting out than for one who's been doing this awhile.

[Millie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn't enjoy this book very much. It's not really for me - I think if you want to write scripts for theatre, TV or film it's relevant to you and you'll probably enjoy the excerpts from people in the fields.

[Tracey Sinclair · Rating 4 out of 5]

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