Tony Noland's 10 Rules of Writing

Tony Noland's 10 Rules of Writing
  1. Good handwriting is for bank clerks.
  2. No dream sequences in Chapter 1.
  3. Semicolons are like nipple pinches: fantastic if occasionally applied with panache, tedious if overused.
  4. Weather isn't a metaphor for anything. Ever.
  5. Bad guys aren't bad guys to themselves or their friends.
  6. First you start writing , then you finish writing. In between, you keep going.
  7. It's OK to say "no" to a project someone invites you to.
  8. Agents and publishers aren't evil just because you aren't their highest priority.
  9. Meeting deadlines isn't just polite, it's good for repeat business.
  10. Everyday real life is full of funny coincidences, but they look stupid in a book.
===== Feel free to comment on this or any other post.
Posted

2 comments:

  1. AnonymousMar 1, 2013, 11:26:00 AM

    I love semi-colons and while I agree that they can be overused, I find that a lot of people are afraid to use them at all.

    The point about bad guys is very important in creating real, well-rounded characters.

    Thanks for the tips! I think a lot of people should find them useful!

    ReplyDelete
  2. John WiswellMar 3, 2013, 8:52:00 PM

    I'm okay with no dream sequences in any chapter, honestly.

    ReplyDelete

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