The Simple Rules of Writing

The rules of writing are simple:
1)      Get ‘er down in writing.
2)      Look ‘er over and fix the mistakes.
3)      Let someone else read ‘er.
4)      Fix ‘er up again.
5)      Repeat 3 and 4 as often as necessary until you can’t change anything else.
The first rule is to “get ‘er down in writing.” That means that you write a story from the exciting beginning to a concluding, makes-sense ending. Some people like to use an outline before they start; others just pant out their story word after word. (Guess what they are called? Pantsters!)
Whether you are an outliner and know how the story begins and ends, or if you are a panster who just writes and writes as your characters “tell” you what will happen next, that first simple rule of writing still applies: Get ‘er down in writing.
It doesn’t matter if you write it in a notebook with a pencil or if you type it out and save it on a jump drive. The very most important thing is that you can do as a budding writer is to… say it with me… Get ‘er down in writing.
So why are you still reading this? Go write your story!
(P.S. Rules 2 – 4 have to do with what is called Revision. That’s writer talk for getting your story to look and sound good. But those rules are for another day. For now, just make sure you do writing rule number one: GET ‘ER DOWN IN WRITING!)

Our Author

Sandy Carlson has lived in seven states but has camped or hiked in forty-eight states. She is a former elementary school teacher and married to her best friend (who likes to camp and hike). They have two grown boys (guess what they like to do, too?). Sandy is a member of the Society of Children’s Writers and Illustrators and lives to tell stories. You can find Sandy’s blogs at http://sandycarl.blogspot.com/ and http://sandycarl.wordpress.com/

Posted by on Aug 5, 2012 in Creative Corner Archives | 0 comments

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