Writer Sanctum
Writer's Haven => Writer 101 [Public] => Topic started by: Hopscotch on January 03, 2026, 10:50:52 PM
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Good read for newbies, a reminder for the experienced:
Dreaming of writing your novel this year? Rip up all the rules!
After 35 years of teaching fiction writing, the prize-winning author shares her wisdom. First tip? Don't write what you know...
By Elizabeth McCracken Guardian 3 Jan 2026
"...A generic first line is a failure of nerve....I have never encountered a rule for fiction I believed in...I believe in modes of thinking, not rules...You don?t have to start small, with drills or exercises...You should attempt everything. Ambition in fiction is merely the willingness to make mistakes....If a page is impossible, try a sentence; if a sentence won?t come, take notes....it isn?t the most promising writers who are still working, still publishing books, it?s the most bullheaded....Embrace your particular oddness[es]...they are what make your work original....Write when you can...Don?t give up...No process is wrong that leads to a first draft of a book...."
https://www.theguardian.com/books/ng-interactive/2026/jan/03/dreaming-of-writing-your-novel-this-year-rip-up-all-the-rules (https://www.theguardian.com/books/ng-interactive/2026/jan/03/dreaming-of-writing-your-novel-this-year-rip-up-all-the-rules)
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There is some truth in that, though I would still give newbies recommendations, if not rules. It's true that unbreakable rules can be binding. But some basic underlying principles are good to think about. Consistency, for example, is a principle that I'd argue is generally important.
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I'm definitely a believer in breaking rules, but I think you need to learn the rules first before you break them.