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You Must Write: Success Through Heinlein's Rules
No five lines of advice have built more successful writing careers than Robert Heinlein's five rules for writers.
Whether you are new to writing or the author of many books, Heinlein's Rules will help you bring your craft and career to the next level. This book delivers the rules in a series of practical lessons, each with exercises designed to help writers build the Rules into their own work-flow. Unlike most "writing rules", which tend to stifle creativity, Heinlein's Rules are focused on unleashing the most creative elements of our minds, combating our deepest and most crippling fears, and driving past the greatest obstacles most writers face to reach success.
In this book you'll learn:
- What Heinlein's Rules are, and how they can fit into YOUR writing career.
- Tools for better engaging your creative mind and shutting out the editorial voice while writing.
- Methods for identifying and facing down fears that block your way.
- Chapters on practical application, with examples drawn from the author's own thirty-two-book career as a bestselling novelist.
Whether you are new to writing or the author of many books, Heinlein's Rules will help you bring your craft and career to the next level. This book delivers the rules in a series of practical lessons, each with exercises designed to help writers build the Rules into their own work-flow. Unlike most "writing rules", which tend to stifle creativity, Heinlein's Rules are focused on unleashing the most creative elements of our minds, combating our deepest and most crippling fears, and driving past the greatest obstacles most writers face to reach success.
In this book you'll learn:
- What Heinlein's Rules are, and how they can fit into YOUR writing career.
- Tools for better engaging your creative mind and shutting out the editorial voice while writing.
- Methods for identifying and facing down fears that block your way.
- Chapters on practical application, with examples drawn from the author's own thirty-two-book career as a bestselling novelist.
- GenresWritingNonfiction
166 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 17, 2018
25 people are currently reading
25 people want to read
About the author
Kevin O. McLaughlin
177 books137 followersWhen not practicing hobbies which include sailing, constructing medieval armor, and swinging swords at his friends, Kevin McLaughlin can usually be found in his Boston home. Kevin’s award-winning short fiction is now available in digital form at all major ebook retailers. He writes fantasy in settings both historical and contemporary, and science fiction in both the near and distant future.
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
July 6, 2018
yeah, this was pretty good. A nice elaboration on making Heinlein's rules work for both indie and trad pub writers.
January 6, 2019
A good break-up of Heinlein's 5 rules adapted to modern day publishing incl. selfpublishing.
September 17, 2018
Definitely worth the read
A practical and useful guide for starting and staying on your writing game. A good virtual kick in the pants, if you need it. Definitely going to apply the five rules and see what comes.
A practical and useful guide for starting and staying on your writing game. A good virtual kick in the pants, if you need it. Definitely going to apply the five rules and see what comes.
May 23, 2020
This is a lot of common sense writing advice, really stretched out and framed along Heinlein's "5 Rules of Writing."
July 30, 2018
Eu estava para escrever uma série de posts sobre as regras de Heinlein quando achei esse livro. Uma ótima explicação sobre cada regra e como o autor as incorporou no seu dia a dia de escritor independente (também tem conselhos para publicação tradicional).
May 16, 2023
You Must Write: Success Through Heinlein's Rules by Kevin McLaughlin (2018): 8 out of 10: Heinlein's five rules on writing are a set of guidelines intended to help aspiring writers improve their craft. While they are not universally applicable, they offer valuable insights and principles for writers to consider.
Here's a synopsis of Heinlein's five rules:
You must write: The first rule emphasizes the importance of actually sitting down and putting words on the page. It highlights the necessity of making writing a regular practice, setting aside time to write, and making it a priority.
Finish what you start: This rule stresses the importance of completing your writing projects. It encourages writers to see their works through to the end rather than leaving them unfinished. By finishing what you start, you learn valuable lessons about the entire writing process, from conception to completion.
You must refrain from rewriting, except to editorial order: This rule suggests that excessive rewriting can be counterproductive. Heinlein believed that constant revising and tinkering with a manuscript can lead to never completing it. However, he does mention that revisions are acceptable when specifically requested by an editor or to address editorial feedback.
You must put your story on the market: Heinlein's fourth rule emphasizes the significance of submitting your work for publication. It encourages writers to overcome self-doubt and fear of rejection by actively seeking opportunities to share their stories with the world. Putting your work out there is an essential step towards becoming a published writer.
You must keep it on the market until sold: The final rule stresses persistence. It advises writers to keep submitting their work even if they face rejections. Rather than giving up after a few rejections, it encourages writers to persevere, make improvements based on feedback, and continue submitting until they find success.
These five rules are intended to inspire writers to develop discipline, determination, and professionalism in their craft. While they may not be the definitive rules for every writer, they provide valuable guidance and a mindset that can help aspiring authors navigate the writing and publishing process.
The Good: Do you need a book to teach you Heinlein's five rules on writing? Probably not, like much of what Heinlein wrote,his rules are not exactly open to too much interpretation. But perhaps updating you may ask after all, Heinlein wrote his rules during the Mesozoic Era and since then we have E-books and Kindles and black people can sit where they want on public transport. Certainly the rules need updating?
Well we now have camps of those that take Heinlein's five rules literally and those who think the rules are allegories and there is no historical record of Heinlein and it is a big mess
Author Kevin McLaughlin is firmly in the follow the rules as written camp. He simply states try these out; they work for me. Kevin McLaughlin is just trying to be helpful. He is not pitching the one true way. He is also not trying to sell you anything. Kevin is simply telling you his experience and what works for him, throwing little bits of wisdom on every other page.
The Bad: Rule three trips up our author a little. He, like most of us, wants it both ways. We want to spend almost all our time writing and not revising. But we cringe at the idea of not taking one more look before sending our masterpiece out into the world. How many times have you reread your work a day or two later and suddenly see glaring problems that were not there before?
The Ugly: But if I write every day and then send that draft to be edited, I will have to publish the book I have been talking about for four years without actually finishing.
In Conclusion: I am not married to Heinlein's Rules. I wonder with the ease of editing and rewriting nowadays if he would really discourage reworking a novel. There is an enormous gap between retyping five hundred pages and moving some chapters around on Scrivner. His focus on finishing the book instead f fiddling with it however I am on board.
Leaving the rules aside, I really liked Kevin McLaughlin's voice in this. He was very helpful going on excited tangents about his favorite software to use or how he wants to try doing his own audiobooks at home. You Must Write: Success Through Heinlein's Rules might be mostly pretty common writing advice, but it is well written, succinct and there is some pretty good life advice in there as well.
Here's a synopsis of Heinlein's five rules:
You must write: The first rule emphasizes the importance of actually sitting down and putting words on the page. It highlights the necessity of making writing a regular practice, setting aside time to write, and making it a priority.
Finish what you start: This rule stresses the importance of completing your writing projects. It encourages writers to see their works through to the end rather than leaving them unfinished. By finishing what you start, you learn valuable lessons about the entire writing process, from conception to completion.
You must refrain from rewriting, except to editorial order: This rule suggests that excessive rewriting can be counterproductive. Heinlein believed that constant revising and tinkering with a manuscript can lead to never completing it. However, he does mention that revisions are acceptable when specifically requested by an editor or to address editorial feedback.
You must put your story on the market: Heinlein's fourth rule emphasizes the significance of submitting your work for publication. It encourages writers to overcome self-doubt and fear of rejection by actively seeking opportunities to share their stories with the world. Putting your work out there is an essential step towards becoming a published writer.
You must keep it on the market until sold: The final rule stresses persistence. It advises writers to keep submitting their work even if they face rejections. Rather than giving up after a few rejections, it encourages writers to persevere, make improvements based on feedback, and continue submitting until they find success.
These five rules are intended to inspire writers to develop discipline, determination, and professionalism in their craft. While they may not be the definitive rules for every writer, they provide valuable guidance and a mindset that can help aspiring authors navigate the writing and publishing process.
The Good: Do you need a book to teach you Heinlein's five rules on writing? Probably not, like much of what Heinlein wrote,his rules are not exactly open to too much interpretation. But perhaps updating you may ask after all, Heinlein wrote his rules during the Mesozoic Era and since then we have E-books and Kindles and black people can sit where they want on public transport. Certainly the rules need updating?
Well we now have camps of those that take Heinlein's five rules literally and those who think the rules are allegories and there is no historical record of Heinlein and it is a big mess
Author Kevin McLaughlin is firmly in the follow the rules as written camp. He simply states try these out; they work for me. Kevin McLaughlin is just trying to be helpful. He is not pitching the one true way. He is also not trying to sell you anything. Kevin is simply telling you his experience and what works for him, throwing little bits of wisdom on every other page.
The Bad: Rule three trips up our author a little. He, like most of us, wants it both ways. We want to spend almost all our time writing and not revising. But we cringe at the idea of not taking one more look before sending our masterpiece out into the world. How many times have you reread your work a day or two later and suddenly see glaring problems that were not there before?
The Ugly: But if I write every day and then send that draft to be edited, I will have to publish the book I have been talking about for four years without actually finishing.
In Conclusion: I am not married to Heinlein's Rules. I wonder with the ease of editing and rewriting nowadays if he would really discourage reworking a novel. There is an enormous gap between retyping five hundred pages and moving some chapters around on Scrivner. His focus on finishing the book instead f fiddling with it however I am on board.
Leaving the rules aside, I really liked Kevin McLaughlin's voice in this. He was very helpful going on excited tangents about his favorite software to use or how he wants to try doing his own audiobooks at home. You Must Write: Success Through Heinlein's Rules might be mostly pretty common writing advice, but it is well written, succinct and there is some pretty good life advice in there as well.
June 20, 2018
Informative, Clear, Inspiring
Whether you are just starting out, or you have written multiple books, this will help you on your journey as a writer.
I wish I'd had it much sooner honestly! I've stumbled my way into some of the techniques McLaughlin mentions, but practicing them deliberately, and all together, would be much more efficient and effective.
Heinlen's rules are "simple", but there is a lot of depth to them with the author breaks down, and gives practical advice on how to carry out.
Highly recommended!
Whether you are just starting out, or you have written multiple books, this will help you on your journey as a writer.
I wish I'd had it much sooner honestly! I've stumbled my way into some of the techniques McLaughlin mentions, but practicing them deliberately, and all together, would be much more efficient and effective.
Heinlen's rules are "simple", but there is a lot of depth to them with the author breaks down, and gives practical advice on how to carry out.
Highly recommended!
July 19, 2018
Un libro muy bueno y muy instructivo sobre cómo las reglas de Heinlein pueden ayudar a los escritores de hoy en día a labrarse una carrera y vivir de lo que escriben. Lo bueno es que no se limita a analizar las reglas, sino que aporta consejos y buenas prácticas que cualquier escritor/a, independientemente de su nivel, puede comenzar a poner en práctica desde ya, además de contar cómo aplica las reglas en su propia rutina diaria, de escritor que vive únicamente de los ingresos de sus libros. Por todo ello, un libro muy recomendable.
January 10, 2019
I picked this up as part of a bundle during NaNoWriMo and it is a gem. Instead of focusing on in-depth details it just goes through Heinlein’s rules and giving advice on how to follow them. The book notes that these rules might not be for everyone but it is the first book I’ve read on writing that I’ve felt “Yes, I can do this!”
It has made me look at my practices and make changes which will help.
Even if you’re not sure if these rules are for you it’s still a good read as it makes you think about what you do now.
It has made me look at my practices and make changes which will help.
Even if you’re not sure if these rules are for you it’s still a good read as it makes you think about what you do now.
October 19, 2018
Short review:
Robert Heinlein wrote some writing rules as kind of a postscript to an essay he wrote. Many writers have followed those rules. Those writers found success. Some say these rules, written in the 1940s, are still relevant and viable today. Kevin McLaughlin and Dean Wesley Smith are among them.
This book explains how.
If you've ever been remotely curious about the Rules, you should read it.
Robert Heinlein wrote some writing rules as kind of a postscript to an essay he wrote. Many writers have followed those rules. Those writers found success. Some say these rules, written in the 1940s, are still relevant and viable today. Kevin McLaughlin and Dean Wesley Smith are among them.
This book explains how.
If you've ever been remotely curious about the Rules, you should read it.
October 16, 2018
Lots of very useful and no-nonsense advice on the writing process, on building a career as a writer, and on indie publishing. I agree with him that some readers may not agree with some of the points that he makes, but I have three decades of experience as a non-fiction writer and found myself agreeing with him throughout.
July 4, 2018
Can't Wait to Give This A Shot!
Excellent explanation of Heinlein's Rules, but the author didn't stop there. This book is full of tips and suggestions on how to use these five simple rules to build a successful author career. Highly recommended!
Excellent explanation of Heinlein's Rules, but the author didn't stop there. This book is full of tips and suggestions on how to use these five simple rules to build a successful author career. Highly recommended!
October 18, 2018
It gave me the motivation to keep going even when I felt it was useless and I should have given up
February 8, 2021
So Helpful
This was such a good book. Thankfully I've already been doing many of the steps. I'm glad I'm on the right track. There is a lot to learn from this book.
This was such a good book. Thankfully I've already been doing many of the steps. I'm glad I'm on the right track. There is a lot to learn from this book.
August 27, 2019
Good coverage of a variety of writing/publishing topics, with a good attitude.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews