Sometimes Story Overrides Rules by Annette M. Irby

The story gushed onto the laptop screen. Wait, let’s back up a second. Not the story first. First, the characters. Vibrant. Living. Talking-to-me-already characters. I could see them. I learned their names. I easily found matching photographs online for the ensemble cast. I hadn’t written books with so many characters before. But this book’s hero had a posse. These guys hung out together, rooted for each other. And, rule-breakers that they were, they were on screen from the opening pages of the book. As if they didn’t care that we writers have a slew of rules, one of them being to keep the character count to a minimum as a story opens. Nope. Turns out, they were more concerned with the story, and jumping right in meant finding them in the inciting incident scene with my hero. A heap of peeps. Together and indifferent to my plight.

I didn’t set out to write an ensemble-cast novel, but the story took me for a ride.

NaNo is a time of fast-drafting—where you prepare ahead of time with character sketches and perhaps an outline or a thought or two, and then dive in once November 1 rolls around. Your goal is 50,000 words in 30 days. No small feat during the holidays. On deadline for a contract, that’s what I did—prepped ahead. I can tell you where I was sitting as, in late October, these guys filled my head, showing up and, as adrenaline junkies often do, showing off.

So, should rules dictate how our stories come together, or how they read at completion? Yes and no. I’ve worked in acquisitions, and I’ve published novels. I understand both sides. I’m guessing I’ve rejected a manuscript because the author didn’t follow the rules, but if the story reeled me in and held on to me, some writing rules were negotiable. (I know. Eeeps!) At various writers’ conferences in my life as an author, I’ve heard publishing representatives say repeatedly, “I’m looking for a good story. A new, fresh idea. Strong story is everything.”

Should rules paralyze us? Maybe not, and here’s why:

Rules change. Even spelling preferences change. A few years ago, the preference in the editors’ go-to choice for spelling (Merriam Webster online) for “goodbye” was “good-bye.” Then, without warning, M-W.com replaced their preference and poof! All of us had a choice to make. Publishing house style guides were rewritten. A rule had changed. What about the pesky comma before "too"? Used to be, we needed to include it. Now, not so much, most of the time. Or what I call "priority commas," where you forego using one or more commas because others already in the sentence aid meaning without an overload of punctuation. Some houses practice this, some do not.

Trends change. A decade or more ago, a genre known as ChickLit thrived. But you won’t find many books in this genre coming out these days. Point-of-view is another area that has changed over the years. Now, editors and readers prefer purist point of view, rather than switching heads within a scene (head-hopping), or seeing things from God’s perspective (omniscient), or, what I call “collective POV” where we experience more than one person’s perspective at any given time. Like: They all felt better when the fire alarm stopped blaring. That may be true, but show us through your POVC (point-of-view character) rather than getting into everyone’s perspective at once.

Various editors and publishers have their own style guides. The Chicago Manual of Style only covers so much. The writers of CMS leave many things to interpretation, indicating that clarity should be the editor's  (and writer's) goal. Because of this, editors and publishers have in-house style guides for what-to-do-when-faced-with most textual situations. You could appease seven in ten editors, and the other three may shake their heads at your grammatical, spelling, or storytelling choices.

Preferences differ. Oh, find me a roomful of folks who can all agree on anything and you may have worked a miracle. Editors have varying opinions. Readers, the same. Some love a genre, some hate it. Some have pet peeves that you’ve never thought of as you write. Poke one of those, and you may receive a negative review. Some readers balk because they read your Christian book and you included talk of . . . gulp, Christ in the narrative.

One of the keys for writers and editors is avoiding confusion. If you can write a story that engages us without disorienting us, you're halfway there. Editors can help you clean up any other manuscript issues. At times, story rules over writing rules.

Done well, story sweeps both writer and reader away, and extra kudos to the storytellers who can transport editors. Though I had a partial outline, I didn’t anticipate all the elements I’d include in my Bainbridge book. I was surprised as I fast-drafted. And then, the story seemed to be working, so, since it was NaNo and since the story line was engaging, I didn’t back down. Sure, I knew the rules. The story, the characters, the plot didn’t care.

Your turn: Have you ever had to overcome a writing rule in order to write a stronger story? How did that go? Would you do it again? Does knowing the rules of story paralyze you? How do you overcome?

When story overrides writing rules. Today at #SeriouslyWrite. @annettemirby #seriouslywrite #amwriting #BainbridgeIslandNovel

That time my ensemble-cast characters didn't care about writing rules. @annettemirby #seriouslywrite #amwriting #BainbridgeIslandNovel

~~~~~

FL on Bainbridge Island

Finding Love on Bainbridge Island, Washington by Annette M. Irby

Book Two in the Washington Island Romance series.

Find book three, the latest release, here.

Kindle Unlimited members can read the Washington Island Romance series for free.

Neither of them is ready for a relationship, but love may not give them an out.

Jenna-Shea Brown considers herself a broken therapist. Years ago, she witnessed something that caused PTSD. She can’t let her boss or her patients know about her battle. Who would want to trust her to help them, when she can’t help herself? She’s finally able to find a fresh start in her family’s beach cabin, but the renovations aren’t complete. Her parents have hired her ex-boyfriend to finalize them, but his negligence led to her being in the wrong place at the wrong time all those years ago.

Liam Barrett is trying to prove he’s nothing like his deadbeat dad. He’s working hard, yet still failing. Adrenaline and adventure offer him a diversion, but maybe he can’t escape his genes. He’d like to make things right with Shea, but he’s unsure if she’ll forgive him. Meanwhile, he’s challenged to forgive his father. He’s also worried about Shea and all these episodes she won’t explain. Now that they’re back in close proximity, he’s falling for her again. But can anything heal the past?

~~~~~

Annette M. Irby*

Annette M. Irby has been writing since her teen years when she sat pounding out stories on a vintage typewriter just for fun. Since then, she’s joined Christian writing groups and launched blogs so she could share the joy of writing. She likes to say she’s addicted to color as flowers and seascapes inspire her. In her off hours, she enjoys gardening, photography, and music. She lives with her husband and family in the Pacific Northwest.

Learn more here on her Seriously Write Page.





Laptop photo credit: Pixabay
Author photo credit: Sarah Irby; Irby Photography

Rules vs. Tools by Deborah Raney

Deborah Raney

Chances are, if you’ve attended more than a handful of workshops on the craft of writing, you’ve come away with your head spinning with new “rules and regulations” about how to write correctly. Worse, you’ve probably received conflicting advice from instructors you admire and respect equally.

Or perhaps you’re one of those rebels who don’t like rules. Besides, you say, readers don’t care about the so-called rules, or the craft of writing! They just want a rip-roaring good story.

Saying readers don't care about craft is like saying airline passengers don't care about aerodynamics. They do care, they simply trust that the person responsible for their particular flight knows how to harness aerodynamics in a way that allows them to enjoy the ride without giving a thought to aerodynamics.

Robert McKee, author of Story: Substance, Structure, Style, and the Principles of Screenwriting says this:
"Story is about principles, not rules. A rule says, 'You must do it this way.' A principle says, 'This works…and has through all remembered time.' The difference is crucial. … Anxious, inexperienced writers obey rules. Rebellious, unschooled writers break rules. Artists master the form."

You’ve probably heard it said that you must know the rules before you can break them. I believe many of the current conventions of writing––no-head-hopping, show-don't-tell, "invisible" attributions, judicious use of adverbs and adjectives, and the myriad other so-called rules of writing––are in fact the principles, of which McKee speaks. They’ve become “rules” because they are a means to the end of writing a story that engages readers and keeps the pages turning.

The no-head-hopping rule keeps the reader from being confused and allows her to go deep in one POV––the one deemed most important by the author––thus developing characterization and reader engagement.

The show-don't-tell rule turns a "story" into a film-like experience, setting the stage and giving the details of a scene in a way that makes the reader feel she is actually involved in the story.

The invisible attributions rule (get rid of attributions where possible; prefer said over retorted, exclaimed, etc.) helps the dialogue read more like a script, again, putting the scene onstage and, more importantly, forcing the author to write dialogue a reader can't help but "hear" with the right inflection. Minimizing attributions also allows for more beats, so the reader can more easily picture the action of the scene.

Judicious use of adverbs and adjectives forces the writer to use more active and specific verbs (which in turn, improves vocabulary and avoids repetition and redundancy.)

The rules of writing could more accurately be called tools of writing. As with any craft, when you are first learning to use the tools, they make the job a thousand times more difficult. But once you’ve mastered the tools, they make your job as a craftsman—and as a writer—infinitely easier. Because every legitimate writing "rule" exists for one reason: to help the writer accomplish what readers DO care about––a compelling story full of characters they care deeply about.

So instead of letting the rules of writing––and the contradicting advice you’re bound to encounter––bog you down, instead view those rules as tools of the craft. Some will serve you well, others you’ll purposefully choose to ignore, and a few you’ll use in creative ways that work perfectly for you. Because that’s what artists do.

About the Author

DEBORAH RANEY's first novel, A Vow to Cherish, inspired the World Wide Pictures film of the same title and launched her writing career after twenty happy years as a stay-at-home mom. She is currently writing a new five-book series, the The Chicory Inn Novels. Deb and her husband, Ken Raney, recently traded small-town life in Kansas––the setting of many of Deb's novels––for life in the (relatively) big city of Wichita. They love traveling to visit four children and five grandchildren who all live much too far away. Deb loves to connect with her readers at:
http://www.deborahraney.com
https://www.facebook.com/deborah.raney
https://twitter.com/authordebraney
http://amazon.com/author/deborahraney
http://www.pinterest.com/deborahraney/

JANUARY BRIDE

What will happen when novelist Madeleine Houser’s “pen pal” friendship with a lonely

A January Bride by Deborah Raney

widower takes an unexpected turn?

Who can work in a house that's overrun by contractors and carpenters? Not Madeleine Houser, a successful novelist who gladly accepts the help of her octogenarian friend, Ginny, to arrange for a temporary office in the charming bed and breakfast owned by Ginny's friend, Arthur. Maddie’s never met the innkeeper—but a friendship grows between them as Maddie and Arthur leave messages for each other each day. To Maddie’s alternate delight and chagrin, she seems to be falling for the inn’s owner—a man who's likely many years her senior—and who she’s never even met.

Arthur Tyler is a college professor who lost his young wife to cancer. Together they ran the bed and breakfast where Art lives, but without his wife, the house is missing warmth and cheer. He jumps at the chance to have author Madeleine Houser use the space that was once filled with guests. He, too, begins to enjoy the daily exchanges with Maddie, but a series of misunderstandings lead him to believe she’s far from being a prospective date—even if he were ready to date again, which he’s not.

When Maddie and Art finally meet and discover one another’s identity, sparks fly. Even so, they each have obstacles to overcome in order for this winter romance to blossom.

Winter Brides  Three novellas by Denise Hunter,  Betsy St. Amant, and  A January Bride by Deborah Raney	Two Roads Home by Deborah Raney #2 in The Chickory Inn Novels

Writing Rules Are Just Tools by Rachelle Gardner

Happy Manuscript Monday everyone! Annette here. We're glad to welcome agent Rachelle Gardner (pronounced Rah-shell) this week. Over the next couple of weeks, she'll be sharing some insider information, some tips, and encouragement. Have you ever felt stifled by writing rules? I have. Read on to learn some tips for overcoming rules paralysis.

Writing Rules are Just Tools*

by Rachelle Gardner

If you’ve been studying the craft of writing for long, you’ve heard all the “rules.” You know you’re supposed to show not tell, use active not passive verbs, eschew adverbs, maintain consistent POVs, avoid repetition, and all the rest.

But it’s easy to get too caught up in the rules and get frustrated at trying so hard to follow them that you find your creativity stunted. In addition, some writers are actively resentful about the rules, feeling like the Writing Establishment is trying to keep everyone in a little box and not allow writers’ artistic visions to shine through.

I just want to share a few thoughts about writing rules. First, they’re not meant to be slavishly followed. They’re meant to be thoughtfully considered and used when appropriate.

Second, the time to apply “writing rules” is usually not in your first draft. That’s when creativity reigns. Only think about the rules in your revision process. Writing is more a creative, right-brain process. Editing and applying rules is more a left-brain process. Try not to get your brain too confused by doing both at once.

Third and most important, writing is not ABOUT the rules. The rules are just TOOLS to help you write effectively. The goal in writing is to engage your reader, draw them in, make them want to keep turning the pages, whether you’re telling them a story or giving them information. So writing rules are simply the means of helping you do that.

The only time “rules” ever come into play is when you or your editor recognize that something’s not working. Maybe the book is getting boring, the characters don’t feel believable, the arguments in your nonfiction work are falling flat, the reader isn’t engaged. It’s pretty easy to identify what’s wrong. However, figuring out how to fix it—that’s where the rules come in. Rules are a means of identifying how to fix a problem so that the reader remains engaged.

The only reason to maintain consistent and strong POVs is to keep your reader deeply involved with your characters. The reason to show not tell is to keep your reader’s imagination active, keep your story alive and visual in their mind. Each of the rules serves a purpose—it’s a tool to help you create a written work others want to read.

So whenever you get frustrated by the rules, or can’t figure out why or if you should follow a rule or break it, go back to the reasons behind the rules and ask yourself: Does following this rule strengthen my work? Can adhering to a rule make my manuscript more readable and enjoyable? Do I know enough about the reasons for the rules to effectively break them?

By going back to the purpose of writing rules, you can save yourself frustration, and focus instead on the goal: powerful and engaging writing that people want to read.




* Article used by permission. Originally posted on Rachelle's CBA Ramblings blog. To learn more about Rachelle, read her submission guidelines, etc., visit her blog.