Every month, I take at least one writing workshop so I can add more tools to my Writer’s Toolbox. After all, one can’t just sit down, write a book and then voila, it’s a publishable piece of work. In actuality – it’s almost certainly a piece of crap. And then after writing and rewriting and revising and re-visioning it still might not be good enough for publication. Sobering isn’t it? That’s why we have to keep learning the art of the craft. It takes time and practice. A whole lot of practice.
This month, I’ve had two instructors repeat a mantra: Follow no rule off a cliff.
Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
What does that mean? Basically, there are a lot of do’s and don’ts in writing. For instance: don’t head hop in a scene, show don’t tell, no more than two POVs, no passive voice… The list goes on and on and on.
But as I’m learning, through practice and study, there are some instances when you might have to throw in a ‘was’ or a ‘had’ or tell instead of show. And it’s okay. Just remember to use the rules as a guide, they’re rules for a reason. If you have a compelling reason and can justify breaking them, go for it.
After all, writing is an art.
