The Guardian - 10 rules for writing fiction

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They asked several top writers for their ten rules of writing fiction, people like Margaret Attwood and Zadie Smith. Some are quite funny. It's a big article which they've broken down into two parts. I hope the links work.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2010/feb/20/ten-rules-for-wr...

And the second:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2010/feb/20/10-rules-for-wri...

Angharad.

Comments

Ten Rules

Thanks for posting the links Angharad: Yes, they did work.

It's fascinating stuff. A few “rules” which struck me were:

  • Use regional dialect, patois, sparingly. Once you start spelling words in dialogue phonetically and loading the page with apos­trophes, you won't be able to stop. [I’ve seen this happen!]
  • A problem with a piece of writing often clarifies itself if you go for a long walk.
  • Do it every day. Make a habit of putting your observations into words and gradually this will become instinct. This is the most important rule of all and, naturally, I don't follow it.
  • Never ride a bike with the brakes on.
  • Only bad writers think that their work is really good.
  • Remember there is no such thing as nonsense.

But of course, all rules were made to be broken.

Passive Scribe


Bike Archive

Righteo...

It was a bright, sunny morning - with not a cloud in the sky, the birds singing in the trees, and only the occasional aeroplane overhead for company. Suddenly, all hell broke loose!!! "Wossup 'ere then, is sommit goin' wrong?" asked Jack questioningly...

(Well, that's the best attempt I can get at breaking as many rules as possible in as few sentences as possible)

I must say I agree more with the authors the Guardian asked than with the original set. In fact, I'm sure if I searched BCTS hard enough, I'd find examples of all ten being broken!
 
 
--Ben


There are 10 kinds of people in the world - those who understand binary and those who don't...

As the right side of the brain controls the left side of the body, then only left-handers are in their right mind!