No one likes rules.
Well, I never did. And even though I am now a parent and responsible for laying them down and upholding them, I still don’t like them. But they are everywhere, and in some cases, they have to be. As I get older, I appreciate that simple truth.
But what about in writing? Do we need rules in writing? And are these rules global or do we each latch on to our own preferred cache of writing laws to hone our craft? And what happens when a highly-admired writer “breaks” these rules we hold dear?
I have recently posted about the preferences for/against any dialog tags other than said or ask, as well as the use/misuse of adverbs. If pressed, I would say these tenants are some of my “rules” in writing, as in, the ones that I believe make my writing stronger and tidier and better-crafted when I can adhere to them.
Or do they?
Just the other day I started Jonathan Franzen’s new novel Freedom and within a few pages, there they were: tags and adverbs!–and not just once, but several times! Egads! Someone mused (optimistically, I might add), another person teased (and teased again within a few sentences). I was confused, I was shocked, I was wickedly thrilled! How could a writer of such esteem use adverbs, and tags other than said or ask, when all my writing life I’ve believed that doing so was frowned upon?
Now make no mistake, I am not a purist. (Well, except when it comes to eggnog, Whoopie Pies, and to not tweaking the original Star Wars movies–George, did you have to replace the aged Anakin in the final Jedi ghost group shot? Really?) There are plenty of times in my novels when I have used more than my quota of adverbs. Many, more more. LITTLE GALE GUMBO will indeed greet the world with several that I simply couldn’t bear to cast off. This is not a critique, simply a curiosity. An observation. Maybe even, a bit of a relief.
So what about you all? What happens when a writer you admire, or even one you know 90% of the world’s population admires, breaks a writing rule you hold dear? Does it make you rethink your rules? Or does it make you believe even more firmly that rules in writing are as individual as writers, or better yet, just made to be broken?
I don’t hold any writing rules dear, but I’m not sure how to explain this either. I think writing rules are made up to help those blind to what good writing looks like.
If you can’t tell the difference between tweenie fan fiction and the original it stemmed from, you need writing rules. if you send your story to a critique circle, and 15 people all point out the same flaw…and you don’t see the flaw…you need writing rules.
I think I better write a post on this topic. I’ve got more to say but it’s so hard to pull out in comment form.
amkuska, thanks for stopping in and speaking up. I think you’re likely on to something re: rules. Like a lot of things when you’re learning something new, you need structure and then as you grow/become more proficient/confident, the rules can fade or be rewritten.
Hope you will do a post on this–I’ll check in and look forward to it.
I broke a rule just starting my blog. I said I would never get involved in such time wasting. Since then, I have written more than ever and learnt a lot. Oh, and won a flash fiction competition with one of my posts. That was one rule worth the break.
Having said that, my recent short which I have submitted for another comp, did read so much better without all those tags. You have to give your reader(s) some credit to read to themselves with expression.
Well, actually, I did leave some in, because they just sounded so much fun. Tag roll call please……..step forward ‘grunt’, ‘snort’ and ‘mutter’. Hey, they would make great characters for a story….dialog tags with nowhere to go…stay tuned.
Congrats on your win, that’s fabulous.
And isn’t that the truth about some of those tags? Some of them just seem to cry out LEAVE ME, YOU KNOW YOU LOVE ME! and so we do…
I think the rule in writing is: “know all the rules well, so you can break them” 🙂
That’s why they always teach them to the aspiring authors; I think we need to know what is going on, what we’re doing, and get familiar with the rules so we can consciously break them to create our own unique voice…
Lua, so true. It is so much about preference when it comes down to it. What “rules” resonate with me? Maybe the ones that are practiced by writers I like or writing styles I admire. But that said, writing is such a fluid craft and that is part of the joy of it–the organic nature of storytelling and finding the best way to tell your story.
Erika
those wayward tags are starring in my new flash fiction story right now. Thought you might like it.
There are no rules. Not really. The only question is does it work or not? Though I did have a nightmare once where Cormac McCarthy merged with e. e. cummings. No punctuation and all lower case besides!
-Michael
The Fiction Side: The Storyteller http://mgkizzia.wordpress.com/
The Non-Fiction Side: Word & Spirit http://michaelkizzia.wordpress.com/
Michael, very funny dream–er, nightmare, rather.
And yes, does it work or doesn’t it is the best measure always, I agree. Thanks for stopping in and leaving your thoughts.
I am currently reading one my favourite authors, and he def breaks a lot of rules…I am actually planning on a post about this because it’s really interesting for me to see why he does it and the beautiful results.
oh, and I forgot to say that i think rules are meant to be understood. they have a purpose. if an author’s voice or style breaks these rules, it must not result in the reason behind the rule. am i being clear or fuddled?….kind of hard for me to explain.
Hi Jennifer–No, I definitely understand what you’re saying…I always feel oddly vindicated when I read an author breaking rules AND moving me with the results. I wonder if writers feel more free to break rules the longer they write/the more they publish–or if those rules become firmer in their work?
Other than making sure writing makes sense, I don’t hold any rules in such high esteem that I worry about them being broken. I dislike words being misused and I really dislike badly placed punctuation, but everything else is fair game as long as it is adding to the experience of the story.
As far as my writing, I attempt to follow the rules, mostly so that I might have a chance at getting published. Go the writers breaking all the rules.
I must agree on that. Grammar is non-negotiable. (Although I’m sure there are writers out there who break even that rule with style and charm.)
Egads!
…haha,love that word. I should use it more often haha.
Yes! I’ve seen writers I admire break rules. Because they break it, I question why I hold so dearly onto it, and then break it myself. But then when someone critiques my work they say I’m breaking the rule and shouldn’t….. Maybe I need to be a multi-published author with several awards beneath me in order to pass off breaking a rule
Hi June! It’s tough sometimes–especially in group crits, because I think we all hold on to rule sometimes as a way to review another’s work, if not always our own.
Like so many things, no one seems to notice unless something DOESN’T work, I think.
I’ve had so many similar experiences. One of my favorite authors does this all the time. Other authors I’ve read who are very respected break rules left and right. I’ve decided that the rules are good, but that there’s a time and a place to break them. If you do it right, it almost has more of an impact.
Agreed, Shari. It’s really about picking your battles when it comes to rules–breaking them for the sake of breaking them rarely comes off as anything but just that. It can make for a good exercise in the meantime, and a way possibly to see which ones can be turned on their head with success.
I don’t fret about writing rules beyond the fundamentals, like subject/predicate agreement, no split infinitives, and not ending sentences in prepositions. Beyond that, I think your talking about preferences rather than hard and fast rules. That’s what makes for literary license and individual styles.
By the way, how’s it going with the rule setting for the kiddos?
I married a bad cop, thankfully, Dave, so it’s going pretty well in setting down rules for the kiddos. Me, not so much…
Hey Erika,
I was just going through some of my old blogs and reading comments there and, whilst this is probably not the right spot to comment, I wanted to know how things were going with your book.
I’m keen to hear about other people’s experiences so how about an update on what’s happening?