3 Writing Rules It's Okay to Break

01. You have to write every day

I hear this bit of advice from big name authors, and I think it’s kind of junk idea. Yes, like anything, you’ll get better at writing the more you do it, but writing daily is an option, not the ONLY option. You can also just write on weekends. Or Tuesdays from 5-, when by some miracle both kids have overlapping extracurriculars at the same location. You can write once a month if that’s what feels right to you right now. Just write. As often as you can.

02. Don’t Start With A Prologue

When I was researching “how to get published” and “How to get an agent,” I heard so many “experts” insist that prologues were amateur hour, and that real writers just got right down to the story. I was terrified of prologues for years. I’m a little more experienced now, and you know what? Good writing is good writing. A good opening is good opening, whether or not it’s labeled Prologue or Chapter One. If you can catch your reader’s attention with a prologue? Then write a prologue. 

03. Always Write in Complete Sentences

This one isn’t a rule so much as an “assumption” that new writers make; that good writing is also perfect writing. Nope. Have you ever read a Nora Roberts novel? It’s basically a string of sentence fragments, and the woman is a god damn legend. Let’s not forget that writing is an art as well as a skill.  Don’t be afraid to experiment and develop your own style.

Takeaway

Have you ever met an icon who didn't do things her own way?