The Rules You Write By

Memnon624 · Jan 21, 2009

It was a good idea, I think, to try and catalogue all our personal rules and foibles -- especially since such things differ wildly from writer to writer. So, let's have a go at this from a different angle . . .

What rules or mantras or bits of wisdom do you allow to guide your hand in the creation and publication of your stories? Aside from the rather broad category of "just write a damn good book", what one thing above all else do you attribute any success you've had?

Mine are a bit brief:

Finish What You Start. This little nugget I had hammered in to me by a friend . . . one cannot sell what one never finishes. And since I want readers, fame, and fortune I must finish in order to sell.

Don't Sweat the Details. Blasphemous to come from a writer of historical fiction, I know, but *most* books in our genre don't really rise and fall on the minutae of historical detail . . . they rise and fall on the realism of the characters and the freshness of the plot (and by "freshness", I mean the ability of the writer to look at an historical event from a different angle). This one keeps me from confusing research with procrastination, too.

Don't Preach or Teach. If you want to send a message, so the old chestnut goes, send it Western Union; if you want to educate, do it in the classroom. Very few writers are skilled enough to articulate lessons in the guise of fiction. If you are, great. I'm not so I keep this mantra tacked above my computer. It reminds me that I'm an entertainer first and foremost.

Learn the Business End of Writing. It rankles me to see uneducated writers out there flailing about, generally making asses of themselves and then wondering why no one wants to read their work. The notion that the work stands on its own is, unfortunately, bogus. To be a part of the industry, we must first learn how the industry works. We must learn to be business people. We must embrace our inner mercenary

For me, Finish What You Start has been the most important.

Who's next?

Best,

Scott

Edited to add: Bear in mind that these are neither universal nor golden . . . they are what work for me; they may be totally useless for others, even counter-productive, but they are what I keep in the forefront of my mind for each tale I write. YMMV.

Doogs · Jan 21, 2009

Scott, this works for me. In fact I think will be really useful to get a glimpse of how others approach their work.

I'll try to get something up myself when I have a bit more time (tomorrow?).

JenNipps · Jan 21, 2009

My rule for writing boils down to one acronym, which used to be under my name here.

"Gotta get BICHOK."

BICHOK = Butt in Chair, Hands on Keyboard.

I don't/can't sit idle very long like that, so something eventually gets written.

DeleyanLee · Jan 21, 2009

Be true to your story. Be fearless in your writing. Always trust your gut.

Now, figuring out how to do those things can be the challenge.

Phaedo · Jan 21, 2009

Memnon624 said:
- they rise and fall on the realism of the characters and the freshness of the plot (and by "freshness", I mean the ability of the writer to look at an historical event from a different angle).

- It reminds me that I'm an entertainer first and foremost.

I'd go by these. Always. Well said.

eLfwriter · Jan 21, 2009

Add in "Stop arguing with the voices, they know where they're going and how to get there. Just write what they say, eLfy".

I don't know why I still think I can convince my chars to do what I want them to do. You'd think I'd have given up and just let them tell the story by now ...

donroc · Jan 22, 2009

For HF, due diligence in research, no info dump, great characters and story.

For writing over all -- write 1st draft to the end and let the characters take control. Then edit, rewrite, edit, and rewrite.

Puma · Jan 22, 2009

Keep good records of where you find information - you may need it later (and it can be difficult to refind). This is especially important if the information is not universally accepted.

Use period language and foreign phrases enough to create color, but not enough to bog down the reader. Make sure the contemporary reader can understand what's being said from context.

PastMidnight · Jan 22, 2009

Puma said:
Keep good records of where you find information - you may need it later (and it can be difficult to refind). This is especially important if the information is not universally accepted.

Absolutely! No matter how careful I am with my notes, citations and bibliographies, I always end up with bits of information that I can't account for. They're usually the little factoids that I don't find pertinent enough to write down as I'm compiling notes, but float around in my head until I need them. And then I have the task of figuring out where I got the fact. I keep pretty detailed annotated bibliographies, with info about chapters, content, etc., and so I can usually narrow it down to at least the book that I found the information. Sometimes this isn't enough, though, as my library has the bad habit of discarding books after I return them.

PastMidnight · Jan 22, 2009

DeleyanLee said:
Always trust your gut.

This is the thing that I've learned over the years, to just trust myself. When I think I've hit a wall, when I feel frustration coming on, I have to just relax and trust that I'll unravel it when the time comes. If I were to hang something over my writing area, it would be this!

funidream · Jan 22, 2009

For me, when it comes to creative endeavors, I’d say the one rule I try hard to abide by is this: Pay no attention to rules.

Hell, there are no rules – we’re trying to accomplish something.
Thomas Edison

Doogs · Jan 22, 2009

Definitely not rules, and your mileage may vary, but I've found these to be helpful:

The "why" is more important than the minutiae. I had this drilled into my skull by one particularly great history teacher I had in high school, and it continues to inform my researching, planning, and writing to this day. For me, getting a firm understanding of why a string of events unfolded the way they did helps craft the story (and has a way of helping character motivations float to the surface). I find this especially true in those instances where there are substantial gaps in the historical record.

"Signposts" are your friends. With my particular brand of historical fiction (based on real characters and events), I'm hesitant to let the characters go off and make their own story. On the other hand, I feel that excessive outlining can stifle natural character development. Instead, I employ a hybrid. I establish "signposts" - events or character defining moments that have to happen in the story. Once this overall narrative arc is established, break it down into chapters, and then outline each chapter before I start writing. I've found this is gives a degree of flexibility while still keeping the story on track.

"See" your scenes. Before writing a scene, I will try to sit back and see it unfold through my MC's eyes. I've found it works well for aligning the attention to detail with the attention of the MC. It can also lead to some annoying stage direction, particularly at the beginning and end of scenes, but that can be edited out in subsequent revisions.

Writing is a marathon. It's not a sprint. It's a daily slog that requires perseverance and dedication. And sometimes you just have to put your head down and keep going.

DeleyanLee · Jan 22, 2009

The other thing I remember while writing, particularly historical fiction is:

Readers think they know things which are just plain wrong. Unless the correct information is vital to the story, go with what the readers think. Doing this doesn't pull the story away from the story I want to tell with the word-weight of the explanation/justification of why you're right and they're wrong.

Doogs · Jan 22, 2009

In the midst of all this, might I recommend reading Cory Doctorow's recent post on writing in the age of distraction (http://www.locusmag.com/Features/2009/01/cory-doctorow-writing-in-age-of.html). Lots of points to at least think about. I for one plan on introducing this one into my writing:

Don't Research: Researching isn't writing and vice-versa. When you come to a factual matter that you could google in a matter of seconds, don't. Don't give in and look up the length of the Brooklyn Bridge, the population of Rhode Island, or the distance to the Sun. That way lies distraction — an endless click-trance that will turn your 20 minutes of composing into a half-day's idyll through the web. Instead, do what journalists do: type "TK" where your fact should go, as in "The Brooklyn bridge, all TK feet of it, sailed into the air like a kite." "TK" appears in very few English words (the one I get tripped up on is "Atkins") so a quick search through your document for "TK" will tell you whether you have any fact-checking to do afterwards. And your editor and copyeditor will recognize it if you miss it and bring it to your attention.

Memnon624 · Jan 22, 2009

A friend of mine does the same thing, Doogs, but rather than "TK" he writes [insert] and later performs a search for square brackets.

Good stuff, folks! Thanks for posting your bits and baubles

Best,

Scott

lkp · Jan 22, 2009

That was a great article, Doogs. I especially like the point about "leave a rough edge" --- set yourself a reasonable not-too-high word goal every day and STOP when you reach it, no matter how inspired you may be, so you can leave a little inspiration for getting the next day started. I've accomplished much more steady writing over the long term when I have done that myself --- it makes that first thing in the morning blank screen so much easier to get over.

I've got a couple of pieces of advice specific to HF my agent gave me that I'm still thinking through --- I'll post them when I'm less exhausted.

(and btw, Doogs, I read and taught Livy on the wars with Hannibal for the first time ever this month and I'm all excited about your novel. What an amazing text that Livy is!)

PastMidnight · Jan 22, 2009

I just can't get the "leaving a rough edge" technique to work for me. I end up rereading the previous few pages just to remind myself where I was going with that sentence. That, and I won't be able to get to sleep knowing that I've stopped right in the middle of something.

I've really tried (honest!), as I've heard so many people say that this helps get going at the beginning of a writing session, but I have to finish up the scene I'm working on and make a start on a fresh scene the next day.

PastMidnight · Jan 22, 2009

DeleyanLee said:
Readers think they know things which are just plain wrong. Unless the correct information is vital to the story, go with what the readers think. Doing this doesn't pull the story away from the story I want to tell with the word-weight of the explanation/justification of why you're right and they're wrong.

I'm not sure I understand what you mean here. Do you mean just go with the trope, whether correct or incorrect?

Doogs · Jan 22, 2009

lkp said:
That was a great article, Doogs. I especially like the point about "leave a rough edge" --- set yourself a reasonable not-too-high word goal every day and STOP when you reach it, no matter how inspired you may be, so you can leave a little inspiration for getting the next day started. I've accomplished much more steady writing over the long term when I have done that myself --- it makes that first thing in the morning blank screen so much easier to get over.

Agreed! I tend to write like that anyway, and the rough edge is a great way to pick right back up. Wish I could pull off the 20 minutes a day thing, but my schedule's not really set up to handle that.

(and btw, Doogs, I read and taught Livy on the wars with Hannibal for the first time ever this month and I'm all excited about your novel. What an amazing text that Livy is!)

Ah, Livy. A great resource for the period, but he definitely has to be read with a grain of salt. Part of why I rely on about five or six "main" sources to get a couple of different takes on the events.

lkp · Jan 22, 2009

Yes. Livy is great because he reads like the best historical fiction --- which suggests that a good-sized part of it is actually...fiction.

And lest I derail this thread entirely, I am going to turn this into another tip for writing HF: read Livy. Seriously. It's all battles and politics and I thought it would be dull as dirt, but it is so gripping I couldn't put it down. The students liked it too. Figure out what he did and why it works. My take: he has a very strong narrative voice. He's always in total control of his story. Historical events serve him, rather than the other way around.

Memnon624 · Jan 22, 2009

I just can't get the "leaving a rough edge" technique to work for me.

Neither can I, PastMidnight. Nor have I had any success using placeholders as the article suggested. To compensate, I make a list of names relevant to my time period (male and female) to draw upon when I have need for it. I also try and boil down a timeline to tack above my desk and use notecards to jot down anything relevant I might pick up when reading (such as a building's orientation or what temples are most prominent in the region).

I also commit a cardinal sin: I rewrite and polish each paragraph as I go so that my "first" draft is usually my only draft. I know . . . badwrongfun!

Best,

Scott

Doogs · Jan 22, 2009

Memnon624 said:
I also commit a cardinal sin: I rewrite and polish each paragraph as I go so that my "first" draft is usually my only draft. I know . . . badwrongfun!

I do the same! It can be so frustrating at times, but the perfectionist in me just can't seem to let go until I have things the way I want them (at least until I sweep back through in revisions).

I'm thinking of trying to work with my tendencies instead of against them with the current WIP, and literally starting with the skeleton of the story and building the draft right out of it in stages.

Puma · Jan 22, 2009

If I understand what you're saying, Doogs - DON'T! I've written four novels, three conventionally and one writing just the basic shell with the idea of filling it out. It was a rotten idea! I've had more trouble with that novel, more re-writes on that novel, more caustic comments on that novel than any of the other three. That approach did not work for me and I'll never try such a lame-brained approach (for me) again. It might work for other people, but, not for me. One of the problems I faced was the novel finished out short so I was constantly thinking in terms of I need to add X number of words - double check that last paragraph word count - okay, now I'm down to. It turned the filling out into a nightmare instead of a pleasure.

On all the novels I've had things well thought out in advance and Excel spreadsheets with ideas of chapter plot delineations and character introductions for each chapter. I also use Excel spreadsheets for things like keeping track of character names so if Mrs. Peabody and her daughter appear as extras in chapter 2 I have their names at my fingertips if I need them in chapter 15. Keeps me from having to do a lot of backtracking.

I rarely use symbols to show there's missing material - I do put in CK in bold whenever I want to double check a date or fact.

I also couldn't work with a rough edge technique or a daily word allowance. I write each section completely the first time through (with a lot of rereading to make sure I like it.) Unless I'm starting a new chapter, I'll go back and reread the prior days efforts before I start in again which I think aids continuity. Puma

PastMidnight · Jan 22, 2009

Puma said:
If I understand what you're saying, Doogs - DON'T! I've written four novels, three conventionally and one writing just the basic shell with the idea of filling it out. It was a rotten idea! I've had more trouble with that novel, more re-writes on that novel, more caustic comments on that novel than any of the other three. That approach did not work for me and I'll never try such a lame-brained approach (for me) again. It might work for other people, but, not for me. One of the problems I faced was the novel finished out short so I was constantly thinking in terms of I need to add X number of words - double check that last paragraph word count - okay, now I'm down to. It turned the filling out into a nightmare instead of a pleasure.

Ah, but this method works better for me than the opposite.

It might work well for Doogs. When I try to add too much detail in the first draft, I end up overwriting. And both my story and my characters end up changing as I write. I find it easier to adjust as I fill in, rather than completely rewrite. If that makes any sense.

Puma · Jan 22, 2009

That makes perfect sense, PastMidnight. We're all different. I wanted Doogs to be aware that it doesn't always work for everyone. But then I'm one of the people who stops in mid paragraph to run out and hunt up data or check details - and then I don't have to make adjustments on the re-write. Puma

The Rules You Write By

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Writing Anarchist

A Boy and his Orc . . .

Oponionated

Oponionated

A Boy and his Orc . . .

Retired and loving it!

Oponionated

Retired and loving it!