Good stuff there - I agree with every bit of it 
An Editor Confesses: 6 Things Writers Taught Me
Ruth Harris spent a lot of years as an editor at Big Six publishing companies. This week she writes about what she learned from the professional writers she worked with. Lots of sensible stuff here http://annerallen.blogspot.com/2012/12/an-editor-confesses-6-things-writers.html
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Thanks for sharing...I enjoyed reading it.
Good post. One of those lists that's nice to read through every so often to make you feel good about the stuff you're doing right, and remind you of the stuff you might be starting to lose sight of when one of those over-thinking, weird and annoying wishy-washing phases starts to settle in on you.
It wouldn't be a writing rule if it didn't clash with other writing rules.DDark said:Good article, but I couldn't help but feel "know your genre" clashed with "let yourself go". Sometimes a compelling story doesn't follow the rules.
Exactly. And it depends on why you are writing. If you want to sell a lot, then make standard fare that most readers will gobble up. No guarantees, though. Every Big Mac should taste exactly the same. There's comfort in predictability.DDark said:Good article, but I couldn't help but feel "know your genre" clashed with "let yourself go". Sometimes a compelling story doesn't follow the rules.
I write the stories that I feel need to be written and I leave the classification to others.
Of course, I don't sell much.
I don't know. There's a wonderful world out there where people keep their cards close to their vests. After Andrei Gromyko had breakfast in the White House with JFK, a reporter asked if he enjoyed his eggs. "Perhaps."genevieveaclark said:I admit I'm a little confused since looking at the link. Are Ann Allen and Ruth Harris different people?
G
Every writing "rule" clashes with at least one other writing "rule," and if you follow them all perfectly, you'll end up writing crap. That's what I've found, anyway.Dalya said:It wouldn't be a writing rule if it didn't clash with other writing rules.
Interesting article. Can't say I agree with everything, but it was interesting.
I replied to the article:
I used to write on typewriters and worked chronologically, getting stuck on transitions from one scene to the next. Now, I write in Scrivener and I write scenes without regard of how the character goes from one scene to the next. After the rough draft is done, I compile into an ebook and read the draft on an e-reader, noting where I need transitions, but I find that I rarely need transitions where one character travels from one point ot the next anymore.
And the most important thing I learned is already mentioned - don't edit while you write or write while you edit. I strictly separate the two. Both require totally different mindsets. Separating them has improved my work enormously.
I used to write on typewriters and worked chronologically, getting stuck on transitions from one scene to the next. Now, I write in Scrivener and I write scenes without regard of how the character goes from one scene to the next. After the rough draft is done, I compile into an ebook and read the draft on an e-reader, noting where I need transitions, but I find that I rarely need transitions where one character travels from one point ot the next anymore.
And the most important thing I learned is already mentioned - don't edit while you write or write while you edit. I strictly separate the two. Both require totally different mindsets. Separating them has improved my work enormously.
Know your genre is not the same as 'keep to the rules'. I write suspense and I know the difference between a mystery and a thriller. That doesn't mean I'm not allowed to mix things up, but when I do it, I do it on purpose, not ignorant of the genre's tradition.DDark said:Good article, but I couldn't help but feel "know your genre" clashed with "let yourself go". Sometimes a compelling story doesn't follow the rules.
I absolutely agree with everything in this article. I was cheering for myself as I read it. lol
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