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I can do no better today than to direct you to this article
about the ‘worst pieces of writing advice’:
I found myself cheering inwardly as I read this, as it
debunks some of the most hackneyed ‘myths’ about writing but does this in a
constructive, not destructive, way, offering common sense advice in place of
the so-called ‘rules’.
My favourite one is #1, the argument against the ‘show don’t
tell’ advice, and also the follow up #2.
Which one is your favourite? And are there any you don’t
agree with?
I really like #9. Words can be repeated for effect, and homonyms for animals like horse or bear quickly become silly, as she pointed out. I think her best point was how these wrong rules lead to the white-washing of author voice. Great link, Paula! Thanks.
ReplyDeleteYou're right, Ana. If we all followed all the 'rules', our individual styles would disappear.
DeleteI saw that article as well and thought it gave excellent advice. Once again, it's not always necessary to follow the rules.
ReplyDeleteSome of them are good guidelines, rather than rules that we should slavishly follow all the time! Our own discretion is needed depending on the context of our writing.
DeleteThe 'work on only one thing at a time' struck a chord with me. I used to do it that one, but more and more I find myself having fingers in several different pies. (Oops, was there something in there about not using clichés in writing?!)
ReplyDeleteI still tend to work on one thing at a time, but my mind can still be running ahead to the possible next project.
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