I wanted to come in here and write something profound and
memorial, but alas, it ain’t gonna happen today. I hope what I
do say speaks to you anyway.
I joined a writers group while I was fired up, excited and
anxious to learn ‘the right way’ to write, you know -By The
Rules. Most of you did too, I suspect. What I found was
confusion. Do it this way - no, do it that way. This is Passive
- bad. Take out all of the –was’s–and this will be a great
story! What? Sometimes, believe it or not, passive is called
for. What are the rules? Has anyone made a list and promised,
“Follow these rules and your writing will be perfect?” I haven’t
seen one, and believe me, I’ve looked everywhere.
In my un-expert opinion, which I’ve earned the right to express
because of the copious amounts of novice writer items I choose
to read, I think the rules lie in the spelling, punctuation,
grammar and common sense consistency in the storytelling. And
the grammar is definitely flexible - it should match the
characters. Real people don’t always talk with perfect grammar.
I love dialect. It’s spicy, real, and it can carry a weak plot.
Dialect speaks with incorrect grammar. Get over it!
Traditional, correct sentence structure won’t automatically make
a story great either. Incomplete sentences are commonly spoken
amongst us common folks. The writing may be perfect technically,
but how’s the story? Does it live, or does it sit stiffly cold
and proper as a manikin?
Once you consider yourself a writer, and you know the rules, you
are entitled to write your own story. Errors are out, but good
writers can occasionally break the rules for effect, if it fits
the context of the story. Variety with clarity usually works. If
you need to use the word –was– use it! Like anything though -
don’t overdo. Using too many of these small, filler or
connecting words will only cause a reader to become bored.
That is bad.
The more I read and study reviews of others, the more I realize
I’ve also been aping the advice of ‘experts’ in my reviews.
There are some ridiculous and damaging suggestions given to both
novice and experienced writers. The ones who know the rules can
smile and ignore the bad advice, but the novices are left
floundering.
I’ve sadly watched one particular work go from potentially good
to definitely bad by using these ‘Rules’ given as suggestions,
because the reviewer did not consider the context. The life was
taken right out of it. I’ve read plenty of How-To books while
searching for the hidden, secret mysteries of writing well. The
advice differs with each article because each writer speaks from
his own viewpoint and style. They aren’t bad especially; they
all contain good advice and learning is always a good thing.
Just hold on to your common sense and remember that advice isn’t
the same as rules that must be followed.
I’ve finally decided the Basic Rules are not mysterious. They
are learned in English class.
There are lots of theories about how to construct plots; when
and how to introduce elements like setting, description and
action. When you can and can’t do certain things. I personally
like to read stories that begin with action, so I encourage in
that direction. But, that isn’t the only way, by any
means. Listen and learn, then use your own common sense and
write it your way. Do you like it? Is it good? You will
know by the swelling sensation you feel rising from your heart
to your throat as you read the final draft. It will bring a
smile to your face. Write it your way, but write it
intelligently.
The best and most reliable teacher is good books. Read plenty
and pay attention. Find the best writers and read them. Emulate
them by writing lots of short scenes in their style. Your unique
style will be developed gradually over time.
Beginning a sentence with ‘But’ and ‘And’ is frowned upon, but
why? I know, there’s a rule to be quoted, I saw it. But if the
line makes sense and fits the context, I use them. Is the story
a flop because I began a sentence with But? I don’t think so.
Writing is not a static art. Nothing is set in stone. It’s a
lifelong learning adventure.
Doing it your way does not mean sloppy and anything goes.
Writing is more than only typing the words. If no one can
understand what is being said except the author, then he hasn’t
learned the rules yet. Long, rambling sentences with incorrect
punctuation are hard to read and the reader quickly becomes
annoyed and gives up. Incomplete sentences have their place in
dialog, but not in narration.
Learn the Basic Rules, then write your story your way. Believe
me, readers will know if you are bending the rule or just plain
don’t know it. There’s nothing wrong with inventing new words
either, as long as the reader can guess exactly what is meant.
Let’em is not the same as letem. Errors are errors, they are not
style.
Don’t forget there are also young, novice readers who haven’t
had the life experience to ‘get’ everything they read. It’s not
their fault nor is it the writers. Consider the audience. Take
all advice with a grain of salt and keep the dictionary handy.
Learn the basics of spelling, punctuation and grammar, then
study them again. Write your story your way.
Step one: Learn the basic rules of English,
Step two: Then you may break them.
Step three: You can’t skip the first step - it just ain’t gonna
work.
I know, I’m preaching to the choir with this column, but I hope
a few novices are paying attention.