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Neil Gaiman's 8 Rules of Writing

Steerpike

Felis amatus
Moderator
I like Gaiman, so I had to add this to the "so-and-so's rules of writing" thread. Here they are (the first part I put in bold is of particular significance to those who automatically revise in accordance with comments and critiques; the second bolded part is because BWFoster will like it):

  1. Write
  2. Put one word after another. Find the right word, put it down.
  3. Finish what you’re writing. Whatever you have to do to finish it, finish it.
  4. Put it aside. Read it pretending you’ve never read it before. Show it to friends whose opinion you respect and who like the kind of thing that this is.
  5. Remember: when people tell you something’s wrong or doesn’t work for them, they are almost always right. When they tell you exactly what they think is wrong and how to fix it, they are almost always wrong.
  6. Fix it. Remember that, sooner or later, before it ever reaches perfection, you will have to let it go and move on and start to write the next thing. Perfection is like chasing the horizon. Keep moving.
  7. Laugh at your own jokes.
  8. The main rule of writing is that if you do it with enough assurance and confidence, you’re allowed to do whatever you like. (That may be a rule for life as well as for writing. But it’s definitely true for writing.) So write your story as it needs to be written. Write it *honestly, and tell it as best you can. I’m not sure that there are any other rules. Not ones that matter.
 
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Guru Coyote

Archmage
  • Put it aside. Read it pretending you’ve never read it before. Show it to friends whose opinion you respect and who like the kind of thing that this is.
  • Remember: when people tell you something’s wrong or doesn’t work for them, they are almost always right. When they tell you exactly what they think is wrong and how to fix it, they are almost always wrong.

Those two rules only ever make sense if you see them as un-seperable. Especially the part about "fiends who's opinion you trust" and "who like things like the thing you wrote" ... If THOSE kind of people critique your work, you need to heed their every word.
Thing is.... how often can you show your work to people who have all these prerequisites?
 

Steerpike

Felis amatus
Moderator
If THOSE kind of people critique your work, you need to heed their every word.

Depends on what you mean by 'heed.' If you mean 'consider,' then I agree. But not matter who is reviewing your work, you don't just automatically change something because they say you should, and you especially don't do it if they haven't made a good case for it (i.e. presented reasons). You have to consider such things, but in the end it's your story and you have to write it as such.
 

Philip Overby

Staff
Article Team
So many rules!!!

Just kidding, I like these as well.

Remember: when people tell you something’s wrong or doesn’t work for them, they are almost always right. When they tell you exactly what they think is wrong and how to fix it, they are almost always wrong.


This one is important for people who rely really heavily on critiques. I think if a reader says "This doesn't really work," then that is fine. But rarely do I ever take another person's advice on how to fix it. It's up to you to figure out how to fix it. Telling someone how to write is rarely helpful. Telling them what is wrong or doesn't work is helpful.
 

Weaver

Sage
"2.Remember: when people tell you something’s wrong or doesn’t work for them [emphasis added], they are almost always right."

If someone states, "This is my opinion; this is how I feel about the topic," then yes, absolutely, they are correct that that is what they think. That is not to say that what doesn't work for them doesn't work, period. It simply does not work for them. If a lot of people say the same thing, if there's something that doesn't work for the majority of readers, it's time for the writer to consider making changes, but that's another issue.
 
"Remember: when people tell you something’s wrong or doesn’t work for them, they are almost always right. When they tell you exactly what they think is wrong and how to fix it, they are almost always wrong."

So true. I had several people read over various drafts of my ms, and some critiques I listened to, others I had to ignore. Sometimes I knew something didn't work, but I wasn't sure how or why and it helped to hear another perspective.

I also think there is such a thing as over-critiquing, people who are trying to be helpful by asking a lot of questions and pointing out every little flaw. Part of growing as a writer, for me anyway, was learning when to listen to advice and critiques, and when to realize that someone was just sort of mind-dumping onto the page as they read along: "Who is this person? Why are you mentioning him here?" and then the next paragraph answers those questions.

"Fix it. Remember that, sooner or later, before it ever reaches perfection, you will have to let it go and move on and start to write the next thing. Perfection is like chasing the horizon. Keep moving."

ZOMG YES! Some of my critique partners have been working on their books for years, tweaking every little word to within an inch of its life. My most recent blog entry was all about knowing when to say, "Well, this is it," and letting go.

Thanks for posting this!

-Meredith L.

Blog:
Meredith Morgenstern, Author

Twitter @AuthorMeredith

facebook.com/authormeredithmorgenstern
 

Butterfly

Auror
Aye don't just go ahead and make changes on one person's comments. Wait until you've had a few crits, and only if several people say the same thing think about them, consider them, if you agree with them, change it, if not stick.
 

BWFoster78

Myth Weaver
I've found that, a LOT of times, the longer I think about something, the more likely I am to see that the beta reader was right :(
 
Very nice. :). Oddly, I haven't read a lot of Gaiman's work (although what I have, I have liked). But I'm a real fan of HIM, as a person, and some of his ideas and philosophies. His speech to a graduating class last spring was pure magic, one of the best speeches I've ever heard anyone give.
 

plucifer

Dreamer
  1. Write
  2. Put one word after another. Find the right word, put it down.
  3. Finish what you’re writing. Whatever you have to do to finish it, finish it.


This is honestly what I have to listen to the most. I struggle with just sitting down and writing.
 

Weaver

Sage
I've found that, a LOT of times, the longer I think about something, the more likely I am to see that the beta reader was right :(

This means that you have a good beta reader, someone who deserves thanks - and cookies! - for their helpful advice.
 
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