Writing Rules Bleed Red Like a Rose

I’ve broken my share of rules along the route to publishing my first work of fiction, and I’m still in the game. To be truthful, I didn’t know half of these guidelines existed until I started this journey 18 months ago. I’ve adapted to a few and forgiven myself for ignoring others. Here’s the skinny on five non-negotiables from where I sit today, editing my manuscript down to its clean, crisp bones, often gazing through the branches of a 100-year-old live oak.

Rule #1: Write each day. Try to place this nugget of advice into perspective. It’s impossible to achieve unless you’ve disconnected from all forms of responsibility and dare to consider text messages as creative writing. I’ve come to view this one as a challenge rather than a hard-and-fast directive, for if it is, I’ve failed miserably. Yet, I harbor no guilt. Sometimes other areas of life demand precedence. 

Rule #2: Appeal to your audience. Checklist, please?  This rule runs deeper than its surface. It’s not enough to be aware of your readers’ age range and education.  Writers must become sleuths and delve into her deepest regrets and fears, too.

Since The Phantom Wife’s protagonist is clairsentient and communicates with spirits, my readers hunger for these interactions. It’s my job to fulfill their expectations. Two sets of lovers from two separate time periods attempt to fulfill their destiny in this paranormal and suspenseful romance, so I’m also blending genres. My editor’s all over this, so I’m no longer battling back, despite it creating an intense editing experience.

Rule #3: Build a social platform. Such a time thief, for it steals me away from creating one crisis after another for my characters and stewing over solutions. My main protest involves the sheer frequency and breadth of this task; if a writer blogs, uploads, updates, posts, tweets, and connects every day (yes, daily is the sage advice) this leaves little time to even take the dog out!  Sadly, it’s a mandate for today’s authors who face marketing themselves whether they chose traditional or independent publishing.

Rule #4: Pay Big Bucks for Help. Look, there’s a charlatan lurking within every corner of the Internet. Writers beware. There’re too many cyber carpetbaggers demanding big sums for intangible products. I love the ads that seduce potential bloggers. “For $2,500 divided into 12 monthly payments, you are guaranteed success.” Bullshit.  Invest in what benefits you the most and advances your manuscript to the next level such as hiring a competent and certified editor who will be honest and offer suggestions to improve your story.

Rule #5: Throw Out the Adverbs. My biggest struggle! My friend, the adverb, offers invaluable pieces of information and answers who, what, when, where, how, and why. Writing responsibly, and using adverbs conservatively, allows the reader to glide quickly through the sentence and remain engaged. (Note the adverbs employed).

With endless rules and guidelines to follow, it’s nothing short of miraculous that anyone successfully publishes. It represents a balancing act for me; the ones I rebel against creep in and threaten my style, my voice. It seems fair to brush those aside.