Rules for Writing
Jan. 30th, 2024 02:23 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ysabetwordsmithLots of people make rules about writing. Few of them are really useful, but they're often good for sparking discussion. Here is Mark Evanier on Heinlein's rules. I agree with Mark far more than Heinlein.
You must write.
True. If you write, you are a writer. If you only talk about writing, you are not.
Picasso's rule applies to writing as much as art: "If you hear a voice within you say, 'You cannot paint,' then by all means paint! And that voice will be silenced."
You must finish what you write.
Here I agree more with Mark: you must finish a useful quantity of material. This is a challenge for me; I've gotten better at it over time; but I've also had things on the back burner for decades waiting for a missing piece.
You must refrain from rewriting, except to editorial order.
That's a good way to ensure you never sell anything. I recommend that after writing something, you set it aside for a while. Later go back and reread it looking for plot holes, missing words, spelling mistakes, etc. If you don't at least proofread you're screwed, and few people are so good that they never need to rewrite something unclear or clunky. To avoid endless rewrites, sometimes it helps to set a number or pattern of things you do before submission.
However, there are a handful of markets that rely on quantity over quality such as pulp fiction, pr0n, and romance. In these fields Heinlein's advice may make more sense.
You must put the work on the market.
True if you wish to be a professional writer, irrelevant if that is not your goal. There are many other reasons why people write various types of things.
Of course, there's also another option now. You can self-publish far more effectively than used to be possible. You may or may not ask for money.
You must keep the work on the market until it is sold.
I would say, or until you determine that it's not suited to that market. You may decide it's not good enough. You may realize the editor(s) just isn't interested in the stories you have to tell. You might conclude that some other release method will be needed, especially if you're into fringe topics.
Another one that I settled on is giving up on a piece of writing or a market once the postage cost meets or exceeds the probable sale price. There's no point pouring money down a rathole, which is why I eventually quit submitting to Asimov's. The editor kept sending encouragement but never bought anything, and I'm not here to provide people with free reading on my dime when I'm trying to sell things.
>> "Come back when you can show me only work you're proud of." <<
Excellent line.
A few bits of other advice I have found worthwhile:
* "Thou shalt not bore thy reader." The only rule you must follow in order to succeed.
* "The first thing the hero tries, never works." A great way to remember the importance of problem-solving routines in plot construction, so it's not too simple.
* "The most important problem gets solved last. If they save the world and then get together, it's romance; if they get together and then save the world, it's science fiction." A useful distinction for any mixed-genre story where you are asked to specify the dominant genre.
And of course mine: "If you're not making any mistakes, you're not learning, you're coasting."
You must write.
True. If you write, you are a writer. If you only talk about writing, you are not.
Picasso's rule applies to writing as much as art: "If you hear a voice within you say, 'You cannot paint,' then by all means paint! And that voice will be silenced."
You must finish what you write.
Here I agree more with Mark: you must finish a useful quantity of material. This is a challenge for me; I've gotten better at it over time; but I've also had things on the back burner for decades waiting for a missing piece.
You must refrain from rewriting, except to editorial order.
That's a good way to ensure you never sell anything. I recommend that after writing something, you set it aside for a while. Later go back and reread it looking for plot holes, missing words, spelling mistakes, etc. If you don't at least proofread you're screwed, and few people are so good that they never need to rewrite something unclear or clunky. To avoid endless rewrites, sometimes it helps to set a number or pattern of things you do before submission.
However, there are a handful of markets that rely on quantity over quality such as pulp fiction, pr0n, and romance. In these fields Heinlein's advice may make more sense.
You must put the work on the market.
True if you wish to be a professional writer, irrelevant if that is not your goal. There are many other reasons why people write various types of things.
Of course, there's also another option now. You can self-publish far more effectively than used to be possible. You may or may not ask for money.
You must keep the work on the market until it is sold.
I would say, or until you determine that it's not suited to that market. You may decide it's not good enough. You may realize the editor(s) just isn't interested in the stories you have to tell. You might conclude that some other release method will be needed, especially if you're into fringe topics.
Another one that I settled on is giving up on a piece of writing or a market once the postage cost meets or exceeds the probable sale price. There's no point pouring money down a rathole, which is why I eventually quit submitting to Asimov's. The editor kept sending encouragement but never bought anything, and I'm not here to provide people with free reading on my dime when I'm trying to sell things.
>> "Come back when you can show me only work you're proud of." <<
Excellent line.
A few bits of other advice I have found worthwhile:
* "Thou shalt not bore thy reader." The only rule you must follow in order to succeed.
* "The first thing the hero tries, never works." A great way to remember the importance of problem-solving routines in plot construction, so it's not too simple.
* "The most important problem gets solved last. If they save the world and then get together, it's romance; if they get together and then save the world, it's science fiction." A useful distinction for any mixed-genre story where you are asked to specify the dominant genre.
And of course mine: "If you're not making any mistakes, you're not learning, you're coasting."
(no subject)
Date: 2024-01-30 09:01 pm (UTC)Thoughts
Date: 2024-01-31 08:37 am (UTC)I think we lost a lot when those went away. There are online ones, but it's not the same. A lot of zines were local; they created and connected a community of fans within driving distance of each other.
>> The question remains, "How much loss is acceptable?" <<
That also ties into the problem of rising demands and effectively shrinking income over the last several decades. People are a lot poorer now than they used to be, and they don't always realize that.
>> Also, Mark Evanier!!! I love his work.<<
My partner is a regular reader and sometimes points me to articles.
Re: Thoughts
Date: 2024-01-31 03:45 pm (UTC)