Rules are Made…

…to be broken, but with care.

I've learned during the course of my life thus far that everyone thinks they are an expert about something. Writers, and those in the writing field, seem particularly prone to it. Perhaps this is because there aren't as clear cut "rules" about writing as there are about, say, science… so people make them up and then are convinced they're the authority.

Who knows? It just seems like everyone who has ever strung a sentence together thinks they know how others should write. And that's not to say that they don't have a piece of the puzzle, but writing is very subjective in many areas. What works for one person isn't guaranteed to work for another.

So, my best advice… and, no, I'm no expert… is to listen to a lot, think a lot, and make the best decisions for you and for your stories, and sometimes that will be not taking someone's advice. Don't ignore what others say out of ego, because that gets no one anywhere, but out of what will work best.

Because the fact of the matter is that if a writer doesn't enjoy what they're writing, nine times out of ten, the reader will know it and they won't enjoy reading it. So, you have to be okay with what and how you're writing your story. So if you're taking everyone's advice and changing things until you're discontent? It likely isn't going to work very well for anyone.

Remember that you can't make all the people happy all the time, and sometimes you'll get conflicting advice. Choose Wisely is the best advice I think can be offered.