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Printed from https://shop.writing.com/main/newsletters/action/archives/id/9857-Ten-Rules-to-Follow.html
For Authors: November 20, 2019 Issue [#9857]




 This week: Ten Rules to Follow
  Edited by: NaNoNette Author IconMail Icon
                             More Newsletters By This Editor  Open in new Window.

Table of Contents

1. About this Newsletter
2. A Word from our Sponsor
3. Letter from the Editor
4. Editor's Picks
5. A Word from Writing.Com
6. Ask & Answer
7. Removal instructions

About This Newsletter

Dear authors of Writing.Com, I am NaNoNette Author Icon and will be your guest editor for this issue.


Word from our sponsor

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Letter from the editor

Ten Rules to Follow


Can writing life be boiled down to ten bits of advice?


Why yes of course! Let me give you the rules.

Write every day
Give it a whirl. Go for 1,000 words per day. Think about it, if you were to attempt to lose weight, you'd keep track of what you eat every day. In that same vein, if you ever want to have something finished in writing: write every day.

Write what you want
Ever heard, "Write what you know"? Yeah. No. Write what you want to write. If you're writing about something real, do your research. If you're writing fiction, you're the master of your own universe. Nobody but you knows it.

Show don't tell
Actually, if you were to take that to the extreme, that would mean you can never tell. What kind of a story teller would you be? Find the balance between showing as much as possible, but don't be afraid to drive the plot forward in time or events with some telling.

No editing while writing
The idea here is to get you to a finished first draft without picking things apart when they are still taking shape. The first draft to a short piece should be written in one go. Fixing everything is for the second and third draft.

Kill your darlings
You don't have to kill a character, but ask yourself, especially in short fiction, what the purpose of every one of your characters is. Can the same work/action be done by one instead of two?

Outlines or pantsing?
Whatever works best for you. Even pantsers can benefit from a super short outline that gives beginning, climax, and ending. Even dedicated outliners can benefit from some free-form writing where they let the plot and characters shape up organically.

Never use passive voice ...
if you want your writing to come across as stilted and trying too hard. Just like you should have a balance of showing and telling, allow for some passive voice when it's the best choice for the passage in your story.

Prologue or Chapter 1?
Prologues can come across as clunky and even amateurish. Then again, there used to be a time when all books had one. A prologue that is. If there is a significant jump in time between the prologue and when your story is set, you might have a reason to have a prologue. But ask yourself: Could it simply be Chapter 1?

Read
Yes, yes, I know. Cheap advice. But so true. So true. Writers read. So you must read.

Publishing
If you want to publish your writing, publish in the way that is best for you. If you insist in reaching a world-wide audience, traditional publishing could be the best as long as you understand that it could take several years before your book goes into print. If you want to make your writing easily accessible to your family and friends and you want it published faster, self-publishing is better.


Editor's Picks

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Rising Above Internet Bullies Open in new Window. (13+)
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Recovery, never easy or finished, gets nutritional help.
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#2190257 by Not Available.

 
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Daddy's Ashes Open in new Window. (ASR)
An entry for the 55-word story contest.
#1951668 by ruwth Author IconMail Icon

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This item number is not valid.
#2203257 by Not Available.

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#2164621 by Not Available.

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Wood, Wind, and Water Open in new Window. (13+)
A Fisherman's Journal
#2024680 by Escape Artist Author IconMail Icon

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a Dream deferred  Open in new Window. (18+)
In the blink of an eye, everything changed.
#2147871 by iKïyå§ama Author IconMail Icon

 Creating Success with a Criminal Record Open in new Window. (E)
How to achieve success even with a criminal record. Reentry. Available at amazon.com.
#2204655 by Archie Author IconMail Icon

FORUM
Published Books of WdC Authors Forum  Open in new Window. (18+)
This forum is for reading and reviewing WdC-Authors’ Published Books.
#1858542 by Joy Author IconMail Icon

 
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Word from Writing.Com

Have an opinion on what you've read here today? Then send the Editor feedback! Find an item that you think would be perfect for showcasing here? Submit it for consideration in the newsletter!
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Ask & Answer

I received the following replies to my last For Author's newsletter "Five Types of WritingOpen in new Window.

dragonwoman Author Icon wrote: I was happy to see my flash "Home Is" in the Editor's Picks of this newsletter. Happy dance!

You're welcome. I hope you got some reviews.

Quick-Quill Author Icon wrote: I would like you to be more in dept with the above list. Could you pick some stories from WDC and show how each fits into the type/style of writing. I'm a bit confused about some of the styles as it pertains to how to write in them.

I'll keep that in mind for future For Authors newsletters.

TheBusmanPoet Author Icon wrote: I would say I'm a little of each one with the exception of the first one but would fall under the most likely one of being creative.

Creative writing is the highest form of writing. That's my story and I'm sticking to it. *Wink*

Octavius Author Icon wrote: Creative narratives are my specialty but I only see scenes play out in my mind. Its hard translating them to paper.

Practice, practice, practice. And try to find some people here on the site that are willing to exchange reviews with you so that you can grow and get to the writing level that you want to be at.

hbk16 wrote: There are many kinds of writing indeed.It is here well emphasized towards such featured newsletter. Great!

Thank you for reading and commenting.

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