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Now when I say rules I am not talking about grammar or structure or plot or any of those portions of writing. In fact, eliminate those from your mind at this moment. They are not part of the rules for writing. At least as far as everyone else seems to care.

When you read a list of rules for the writer the first thing you must decide is if they apply to you. Do you agree with the rules as stated by Neil Gammon or Elmore Leonard or Stephen King? Can you be sure the rules as you read them can even be attributed to those whose name appears on them. Beware of experts I say, and I say it often.

Which leaves me to my own set of writing rules. Yes, I have my own set for writing. Rules which closely mimic many of those I have read attributed to others. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it is another saying I am fond of. A saying which aptly applies to writing as a whole.

So, let’s start with my own personal rules for writing:

1. Write – Period. You will find this rule listed everywhere. It is one I agree with. Write – period. Write like you don’t have a care in the world. Write like it means more to you than eating. Let the story flow. Don’t think about the structure the plot or anything else. Simply write. Write until you get it all down on paper or on a disc or whatever. Write it all down. You can clean it up later. 

2. Here is my next rule. Protect your writing time like a leprechaun protects his gold. Be obsessive with you writing time. As you progress in your writing career, so many other things will demand your attention. 

Once your attention is broken you lose your momentum. Protect the time you write like a lioness protects her cubs. I remember reading back in the early eighties about a bodybuilder named Frank Zane. Zane was a legend. He did appearances, product endorsements, and other business-related items connected to his bodybuilding. 

One time Zane was at the gym, and some reporters wanted an interview him or something like that. Anyways, he was in the middle of a great workout but stopped to deal with them. Afterwards his momentum was shot. Zane wrote an article about how messed up his workout was after he stopped. Spoke about the need to separate your business time and your professional time. 

I would include personal time in there as well. Family is a blessing; however, they need to understand when you put yourself in writing mode, they need to leave you alone. You must never forget even if you are collaborating with someone that you write alone. Protect this alone time. It is when you produce the best results.

3. Write true to you. If you write in flowery prose, then do so. If you write in blunt bullet points, then continue. Write in the way you are the most comfortable. If this means you use ten thousand adverbs so be it. If you use a million ways to describe how a leaf falls off a tree, write it. No matter what, stay true to who you are as you write. This is so important. You can edit anything. Create or recreate any story in any manner desired but there is only one you. Make sure you come out in your writing. The best stories are personal to their writers.

4. Once completed be prepared to have your feelings hurt. Often and in harsh manners. No one gets it right on the first draft. It took Tolkien ten years to write his stories. First drafts are there to get your story out. To get it down so you can walk away from it for a while then return with fresh eyes and being the arduous process of taking your baby as it were and turning it into a story you want to share with the world. 

In this process you will be subjected to tons of opinions. Tons of them. This is where you need a thick skin and the ability to decide who you will listen to and who you won’t. Not because they have hurt your feelings, but because you trust them to tell you how they see your story from their perspective. 

You can’t please them all so why try? Pick the ones you trust. The rest become background noise. Remember, Harry Potter was rejected by loads of publishers before it was let loose on the world and even then, it was banned in various parts of the United States.

If you want more rules you must make them up. These are mine and you are welcome to use them, but remember this, writing is a personal process. The rules of writing must be tailored to the writer.

I’m Ross, The Editor-in-Chief at The Pyrateheart Press and I’m out.