Writing advice for non-absolute beginners

[inkdust]

Amend the click-bait style title to add "...if you already know what you're doing." I was pleasantly surprised by this list because it seems to articulate some of what we've said about writing advice (I know at least I've said it) - that so much is directed toward total beginners, stated as utter absolutes, and ends up running counter to our instincts as storytellers. This list is intended as an antidote.

"The Ten Worst Pieces of Writing Advice You Will Ever Hear" [if you already know what you're doing]

What do you all think?

Comments

[rejectionchallenge]

I love it. Honestly, I'm skeptical of pretty much ALL writing advice that takes the form "Don't do [X]," because for just about every possible [X], there's an example somewhere of it working really well. There are probably exceptions, but I can't think of any at the moment. But anyone who reads at all can tell that these rules aren't being followed by their favorite writers.

Sometimes the standard response to pointing out that, say, Tolstoy loved him some adjective pileups and people seem to like Tolstoy anyway, is to say "OH HO HO HO; YOU'RE NO TOLSTOY THOUGH" and leave it at that.

Then it can feel to writers who are still finding their legs that there is one set of rules for non-famous plebs like them and another set of rules for Real Writers, and a cold sea of caution between Pleb Island and the Continent of Real Writerhood. It isolates.

[inkdust]

Hah, that's a great way of putting it. It reminds me of another bit I heard recently about writing, "Any advice is terrible advice at some point." Good things to remember.