Breaking the Rules and Myths of Writing
Rule busting
There are a lot of rules in writing. Of course. There are rules everywhere for everything, even something simple like crossing the road. Most of them need to be followed for safety or, at least, to prevent being arrested.
I was travelling in Vietnam some years ago and whilst chatting with my guide, Mr Ho, the subject of laws arose. He told me, “In Vietnam, there are laws and there’s real life. We recognise the laws but, if they get in the way, then we get on with real life.” Later, he told me, “The local police accept if the law stops you being able to earn your living, they close their eyes.”
I think that’s how I view the ‘Rules of Writing’. Some we need to follow in order that readers can understand our story. Others are more like guidelines.
So, how does that fit with your writing? Rules or guidelines? That depends on whether or not you’re a purist. If you are, you’re probably a rule-maker and rule-follower.
These notes are for all the other people reading this blog.
Cliché alert!
Rules are made to be broken.
Ye-e-es, but how, why, and when is it acceptable? If you’re not a rule-breaker, at least question the rules. Ask why it’s a rule. Ask does it hold back your creativity, your style. Can it at least be bent?
My knowledge of grammar is reasonable but that doesn’t make it OK for me to bust English grammar wide apart in my exciting new manuscript. There are famous authors who’ve done so. For instance . . .
Most people are familiar with Dickens’ opening line to Tale of Two Cities – “It was the best of times; it was the worst of times . . .” Those are only the first few of a sixty-word sentence!
You’ve probably heard of James Joyce’s book Ulysses. In it there is a passage of 24,048 words punctuated with only two full stops and one comma. True!
There are also modern writers who get away with such things. Not long ago, I read a book, punctuated normally but without any paragraphs. Another recent read didn’t use quote marks or indentation for dialogue, normally required for clarity. Good stories, but I found the presentation irritating. It disrupted the flow so I had to re-read some of it. That’s not good; readers get fed up with that.
If you want to try it, good luck.
You may or may not like what I put here; it is CONTROVERSY CORNER after all. To be honest, it doesn’t matter whether or not you like my thoughts; they’re not rules. But I hope they make you at least think about your writing.
Read on . . .
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