Today's writers are unfortunately restricted

No.

I don't think writers today are restricted at all. And the great thing about writing today is the communities like AW, where new writers can come and ask "why did someone tell me to not use adverbs?" and we can break down this advice for them. We don't have to do everything our high school English teachers told us to do, because there are endless alternate resources for information on writing.

I guess I haven't ever heard of most of the "rules" you list here.

I actually find dialogue tags more suffocating than leaving them out. There's so much more you can do with the text when you don't use tags as a crutch.

I can't imagine why you wouldn't want to describe the look on someone's face. That's actually one of the BEST things you can do to convey the scene to a reader.

I also don't worry one whit about whether I use someone else's plot. I would treat it entirely differently than they would. My characters would be different, my words my own. There aren't any original plots anymore anyway. It's all about what you DO with the plots.

I think most of the writing has evolved simply because reader's expectations have. Like so much of today's world, readers want lean, tight writing because they don't have lots of time to spend wallowing in narrative.

Yeah, it does feel like that sometimes! At the same time, I don't think of a lot of these things are *rules* so much as guidelines. I write so that most, but not all of my tags are "said" or "asked." I use a lot of dialogue to convey emotion and actions, but not exclusively. I minimize adverbs, and I've never heard not to use adjectives. And so on.

That's the thing about rough rule of thumb advice, it's take it or leave it, use whatever you think applies to your writing, ignore the rest. It's not supposed to overwhelm.

There's always the alternative advice, Write it the way your favorite authors would write it. Can't really go wrong with that...

-Derek

There's really only one rule. Write very, very well.

That covers everything the OP listed and a bunch more.

Maryn, knowing it's difficult but possible

I've seen plenty of beloved novels that break many if not all of those rules. There isn't one exact right way and there never will be, and the rules change all the time anyway. Getting uptight about it just stresses you out. Learn the rules, realize that a lot of them conflict, and find the ones that work for you.

I mean, don't you think if there was only one right way to do it, all readers would love all books? They don't, though, because what they want differs. You're never really restricted except by yourself.

Meh. The first thing you have to learn is that you can get away with anything as long as you can get away with it. That said, overuse of any device, such as unusual dialogue tags or adjectives/adverbs, may draw attention to itself and away from the story. Mostly among other writers, though. It's amazing the gross infelicities a "civilian" reader can overlook when sped along by an engrossing story.

I've not seen any list of rules like that. Suggestions, yes, but no great big red rulebook that says THOU SHALT NOT.

Don't use tags beside the invisible "said."

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Well, it's fine to use tags. There is no right or wrong. It's just that they have to be used in the right context, and preferably sparingly. And there is never, ever a place for "he ejaculated" as a speech tag. Ever.

Don't describe the look on character's faces or what any action performed by the features.

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Well, that's a new one on me, and I've been hanging around here almost an entire year now. Expressions can be heavily overused as a way of showing emotion - if your only shorthand for emotion is the way a character moves their eyebrows, or their mouth, then yes, you need to branch out from expressions into other ways of showing emotion. Again, it's not an either-or thing, but about not getting stuck with the same old tired methods.

[]quote]Only use dialogues to convey character's emotions and physical actions.[/quote]

Again, never heard of this. I think you're referring to 'show, don't tell', in which case dialogue is one effective way of avoiding a 'telly' narrative - instead of saying 'Jimbob was angry with Zelda', which is dry and not terribly imaginative, why not show us Jimbob interacting with Zelda in such a way that the reader can tell he's angry. It's like real life: people might say 'I'm angry with you', but they're much more likely have a go at you and express their anger that way.

Don't use adverbs. Don't use adjectives. Don't use any common phrases that other writers have used. Don't use passive voice.

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Now you're just being silly. Adverbs are fine in moderation, but as a reader, I'd rather see Jimbob being angry than a little bit of dialogue with 'he said angrily' tacked on the end. Adjectives are wonderful as long as they don't come in packs - 'Zelda's beautiful, shiny, jewel-encrusted golden watch was smashed into tiny, fragmented, broken little pieces' is just too much. And by 'common phrases', I think you mean 'cliches'.

Passive voice is just dull.

Research all possible plots under the sun so you don't accidentally write a plot that's been done already.

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That's just plain silly. You'll usually be told that everything has already been done (it has) and that it's all about approaching these well-worn ideas in a fresh and interesting way.

I agree with crunchyblanket - those "rules" should be taken with a hefty pinch of salt. I think I've broken every one of them in my writing, and I had no trouble selling my manuscript.

Some of them make reasonable guidelines for beginners struggling to master the art of good prose, but once you know what you're doing, most of them can be thrown out of the window

Lunatique said:

If we were born decades ago, or a century ago, then we wouldn't have so many restrictions and could write with a lot more freedom.

Does it feel that way to you too?

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No.

Writing that doesn't follow these rules (or guidelines) tends to be baggy and in need of a stringent edit.

You can break the rules, but only from a position of power. If you can explain why you've done it, great. But rules are there for a reason.

Lunatique said:

There are now so many common rules of thumbs and do's and don'ts in writer's communities that it almost seems kind of suffocating.

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The rules you quoted aren't rules, more guidelines about things that you shouldn't OVER use.

There are no real rules in writing, anything can and will work when handled skillfully enough.

It seems today's writers are unfortunate, because of all these writing examples that came before us that had done certain things to death, so now we have to avoid them at all costs. If we were born decades ago, or a century ago, then we wouldn't have so many restrictions and could write with a lot more freedom.

Does it feel that way to you too?

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No.

Write whatever you want, no one is forcing you to obey any rules.

Lunatique said:

It seems today's writers are unfortunate, because of all these writing examples that came before us that had done certain things to death, so now we have to avoid them at all costs. If we were born decades ago, or a century ago, then we wouldn't have so many restrictions and could write with a lot more freedom.

Does it feel that way to you too?

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No.

Writing a century ago was not some styleless, no-rules free-for-all where writers wrote any darn way they wanted. They had just as many conventions and "rules" as we do, but they were different (and there were fewer aspiring writers, hence fewer how-to-write books).

Rules exist for a reason. They aren't arbitrary restrictions to curb your creative freedom, they're descriptions of what makes writing less pleasant to read.

Lunatique,

You are way over the 50 post requirement for popping some of your work (preferably an opening) into the Share-your-Work Forum. Show us how you are coping with all these restrictions.

Lunatique said:

Does it feel that way to you too?

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No.

My grandmother has a saying. She likes to say, "Don't borrow trouble."

Don't know why I just thought of that.

I would really like to see this list of rules that keeps getting quoted. It must exist somewhere for all the time it gets used around here.

It's always with the guidance and what is best for your work. Understanding why there are cautions out there about overusing adverbs or starting novels with the weather/prologue/backstory/dead chickens or excessive italics or passive voice or using a mirror to describe the mc or... anything that beginning writers tend to use excessively and clumsily and to the detriment of their writing.

If the point, as Amadan points out, is to get people to read your stories, you'll use the best of the tricks of the trade to pull them in and avoid those things that weaken your writing.

Funnily enough, there are plenty of opinions about what exactly those things are.

But to answer your question, no, I don't think these 'rules' inhibit my creative freedom. They tighten my prose and make the most efficient use of my word choices, causing my scenes to come alive, to be memorable in the minds of the readers, to pull them along with the story so when they close the back cover they can say 'whew, what a story. where's this author's next book?' To that end, I'll use the tools I have on hand to do that.

First, I don't think "writers today" are anymore restricted. Back in the "olden days" when people had to type their manuscripts, w/o the help of a word processor, and (gasp) mail it in, agents, publishers and magazines had far less submissions to wade through. Writers had to be proactive instead of relying on the "submit" button in their email.

As for the "rules," just pick up a book, any book, and find an adverb. You will. You'll also find an adjective or two, and some "telling" instead of "showing." And I'm on the boat that believes there really are only a few types of "plots," out there. It's up to you to dress 'em differently with style, voice and characterization.

Do you think it would have stopped James Cameron if someone told him that his Avatar story had been done before? (typical heroic archetypal story). Go figure. Highest grossing movie of all time.

There are craft elements that will help your story be smoother, tighter, less full of excess baggage. But, I can't say that I keep any of this in mind on my first draft.

But, some of the rules do help ME (personally) during revision. I want the tightest, most worthy story I can write. Do I obsess over adverbs? Okay, yes, I do, maybe that's a bad example.

The point is, you're a creative being. Be creative. If the "rules" are bogging you down, ignore them on first draft, but, be aware that some of these craft elements are popular for a reason and that during revision they can help guide you a bit.

Guide, not beat over the head with an anvil.

Here's a nice piece I saw the other day - "Ten Bits of Advice Writers Should Stop Giving Aspiring Writers" by Nick Mamatas. #2 is my favourite.

Lunatique said:

Does it feel that way to you too?

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not at all

for one, the rules are guidelines, mostly to serve the reader--I don't feel restricted in my car because there's so damn many traffic laws, either.

for another thing, these "rules" were around, and given serious thought, when Hemingway, King, even Shakespeare were first cutting their teeth.

Those "rules" are things often told to people who are new and starting out because it helps them see some of the mistakes that new writers often make that detract from the quality of writing. A lot of times, it goes to show vs. tell, if you really look at what's being said.

I've never felt restricted in my writing. Even when I go through my writing and take out unnecessary words, it's not a matter of being restricted by being unable to use those words, it's a matter of being able to improve and make my writing more readable by not being overly wordy.

You are as restricted as you want to be. Every profession or activity in life, a game, a sport, whatever, has rules that need to be in place to ensure what you are doing makes sense.

But some of the minor rules are more of guidelines, which can be broken and are broken routinely by writers. In a work you can pretty much do whatever you think works for the genre, your style, your goals, your mission in that particular piece of work. It doesn't mean that other people may like what you write, but then, no everyone is supposed to.

Hope this helps.

Ethan

Lunatique said:

There are now so many common rules of thumbs and do's and don'ts in writer's communities that it almost seems kind of suffocating.

Don't use tags beside the invisible "said."

Don't describe the look on character's faces or what any action performed by the features.

Only use dialogues to convey character's emotions and physical actions.

Don't use adverbs. Don't use adjectives. Don't use any common phrases that other writers have used. Don't use passive voice.

Research all possible plots under the sun so you don't accidentally write a plot that's been done already.

Don't this, don't that.

It seems today's writers are unfortunate, because of all these writing examples that came before us that had done certain things to death, so now we have to avoid them at all costs. If we were born decades ago, or a century ago, then we wouldn't have so many restrictions and could write with a lot more freedom.

Does it feel that way to you too?

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Not really. Many of those are flat out wrong (the faces and plots bit, for example).

And you are conflating rules with restrictions. (N.B., I'm now referring to your overall approach, not the specific "rules" you listed.)

Let's say I'm a painter. I come across the following set of instructions:

• Don't blow your nose with the canvas.
• Don't urinate all over your painting.
• Don't smear feces over your painting.

Those are rules. How restrictive, right? Well, doing any of these things would compromise the quality of my painting. My creativity isn't hampered by my inability to do any of those things. I can still paint nearly everything worth painting, provided I had the skill. I'm following rules, sure, but practically speaking I'm not restricted one bit.

The "rules" of writing would be sort of like that, albeit on a much less hyperbolic level. After dispensing with the crappy stuff the rules "outlaw," you'll still have many options; you can fashion whatever narratives you feel like, right? As with the painter above, you're just ridding yourself of the stuff that tends to make work crap.

Bufty said:

Lunatique,

You are way over the 50 post requirement for popping some of your work (preferably an opening) into the Share-your-Work Forum. Show us how you are coping with all these restrictions.

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He made a contentious point, sure, but we shouldn't go around challenging everyone who makes such points to post their work. That's hostile, and dissuading people from posting their beliefs goes against the spirit of improvement. Not sure how people will ever improve if they're afraid to post what could be wrong. And his tone isn't particularly hostile.

If I were OP--although, in general, I'm not averse to submitting excerpts of my work--I'd ignore this "challenge" on principle.

Torgo said:

Here's a nice piece I saw the other day - "Ten Bits of Advice Writers Should Stop Giving Aspiring Writers" by Nick Mamatas. #2 is my favourite.

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What a charming man. Such a shame I'd gone 35 years without ever hearing of him.

Hostile? Challenge? Against the Spirit? Afraid?

Good grief - read Lunatique's profile - he's perfectly capable of taking care of himself and I doubt he's lost a wink over my passing suggestion.

Bufty's about as antagonistic as I am sweet and charming.

i.e. Fuck all.