Thread by @GailSimone

There are several writing ‘rules’ that are horseshit and I hate them.

Here are a few. Add others if you like!

WRITE WHAT YOU KNOW

The worst. I say, know more. Write things you have to learn. Get help as needed. Bring your experience, yes. But write with bigger horizons.

Next:

EVERY VILLAIN IS THE HERO OF HIS OWN STORY

No interpretation of this is accurate, it sounds like something they say in a bad creative writing textbook.

Some villains have no interest in being the hero, they love being evil, others act out of self-loathing. Bad is varied.

SHOW, DON’T TELL

I hate this one even if it’s true most of the time. Because it gets brought up when you choose deliberately NOT to show. The most chilling scene in Jaws is Quint telling the story of his navy ship going down, we never see it. Show, OR Tell, whatever works.

Here are some guidelines I think might be more useful.

WRITE WHEN YOU CAN

DO YOUR BEST

TRY NEW THINGS

ALWAYS BE LEARNING

WHEN YOU FUCK UP, BUILD FROM IT

RESPECT YOUR VOICE

BE TRUE TO YOUR EXPERIENCE

ADMIRE, DON’T IMITATE

ABSORB EVERYTHING, STORIES ARE EVERYWHERE

But the #1 rule I would say to aspiring writers?

DON’T BE YOUR OWN DOORSTOP. NO ONE ON THE FACE OF THE EARTH IS MORE LIKELY TO STOP YOU FROM ACCOMPLISHING YOUR GOALS THAN YOU.

Your doubt, fear, laziness or inability to listen will stop you cold where outside forces could not.

Writing teachers often want to mystify the process, they want to make themselves into heroes, keepers of the Secret Knowledge.

Writing is a skill, part talent, part craft. Not everyone is going to be great at it. But it’s not double-jointedness, if you want to write, write.

Also, those traits I mentioned that might stop you from writing? I have all of them and struggle with them routinely. You can be lazy and work your ass off. You can be terrified and do bold things. You can learn to listen.

Don’t shoot your own feet.

But if you are perusing this thread, here's another real tip:

Don't think of obligation, think of PROGRESS.

"I HAVE to write those pages," is hard. "I wrote some pages today," is a motherloving triumph.

One of the reasons I hate to write about writing is that I actually LOVE to write about writing and it's hard to stop.

You get a lot of weird chunks of knowledge when you do this for a living. BUT some of it won't apply to you, maybe. What works for you is great.

Anyway, thank you all for listening to this rant. I hope you continue the discussion, it's a lot of fun to read.

Here's the thing. If you're planning a work, what if, next year, this same day, you have finished it?

Imagine our conversation then. :)