These are not my rules! But I do love them – if you want to read more, Robert Masello has 101 of them in his book “Robert’s Rules of Writing – 101 unconventional lessons every writer needs to know.”
1. Take the prozac. – If you don’t know by now, writing can be a depressing occupation. Rejection isn’t positive – depression is inevitable.
2. Lose the muse - If you haven’t figured out yet the muse is fickle and is prone to take vacations when you need her most – listen up – you don’t need the muse. Sit at the damn computer and write already.
3. Make ‘em worry - You want the reader to keep turning the pages right? Make them worry about your characters. You already knew that right?
4. Get rejected - first this means you sent something out – so yay! Second this is merely a right of passage. Get used to it, accept it and make your peace with it.
5. Know no shame - The best part about being a writer (Robert claims) is that you have the right to be nosy and you don’t have to hide it anymore. I’m reseraching a book, ya know…
6. Gather ye moonbeams - Writers are born daydreamers. Yes, I may look like I’m staring at the blank computer screen or watching the grass grow – but I’m really letting my mind wander and as John Fowles once said “in a novelist, mind wandering is a good thing.”
7. Be a tease - and I’m not talking about erotica. Don’t let all the good stuff out too soon – drag it out, make them turn the page.
8. Wave Goodbye - Don’t try to catch the publishing wave. Write what you love, what your style and voice are best at. Good books get bought – period.
9. Set the clock - show up at your desk and write – this is your job right?
10. Keep your pomises. No matter what your subject matter – your reader is expecting to be fulfilled, to be entertained or enlightened. Don’t miss the boat and not deliver the goods. Keeping your promises ensures they’ll be back in line to buy the next book.
11. Refill the well. Yes, for people like me, this a tough one. Get out of the house. Take a walk, let the outside world inspire your creativity.
12. Make an entrance - Grab the reader from the get go.
13. Break the rules! – For everyone who tells you – “do it this way” there is going to be someone who says not to do it that way. Stand on your own two feet and be yourself. Sometimes breaking a rule or two is just the ticket to making your work sing!
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October 18, 2007 at 12:46 pm |
I’m sitting here now, saying, “Okay, I really should get on the elliptical, but I have to do all the T13s. Then I really wanted to write. And the laundry’s piling up. But I should decorate the house for Halloween.” You get the idea. I’ll just listen to Robert. Twenty minutes on the elliptical, then writing!
October 18, 2007 at 1:24 pm |
Wow! This is really cool! I need to exercise some of these! Especially the “lose the muse”one. heh! Awesome T13, chica!
October 18, 2007 at 2:33 pm |
Great list! I love the one about writing what you want. I don’t think I could write for the market to save my life. Of course, I’m not published either… There may be a connection here. *goes off to stare at grass and ponder*
October 18, 2007 at 3:19 pm |
I LOVE these!!!
October 18, 2007 at 3:29 pm |
Awesome list! Thanks for sharing! I may have to track this book down.
October 24, 2007 at 7:53 am |
These were AWESOME. I don’t know how I missed this last week. I especially like the first one. I’m looking at your writing progress and stunned to see you’re FLYING along. I can’t wait to see the finished product come out.
Does that qualify as “making me worry”? LOL.
December 19, 2007 at 5:45 am |
“Show up at your desk and write”– this one speaks to me. I spend more on time blog trotting and checking out the latest celeb gossip on e-online