Staying Inside the Lines

Okay, we know I have an painting background, so you will, no doubt, expect me to negate the above title. Normally, I would insist on it. I'm one of the messiest artists you'll ever meet, trust me. A whole history of splattered ceilings will agree. But, we're talking about writing here, right?

Specifically, I'm talking about guidelines. Submission guidelines, query guidelines, pitch guidelines, you name it.
Ahhhhh. Now you see where I'm coming from, right?

One of the things that made me really s...