Break Your Own Writer Rules...

 

Today, I want you to pretend that everything you "think" is correct about your beliefs as a writer is WRONG.

Yes, you read me right.

 

Pretend that if you are a devout believer in the Oxford Comma, today, you're not.

Pretend that if you believe in the 3-Act story, today, you won't.

Pretend that if you believe you can't write anything today, you CAN.

 

Now, don't argue with me. My fingers are in my ears, and I'm humming the theme song to the TV show, M*A*S*H, so I won't hear you anyways...

 

Today, DECIDE to be WRONG about all your pre-conceived writing notions.

Remember: Agatha Christie broke the cardinal murder mystery rule, creating an unreliable narrator in The Murder of Roger Ackroyd.

 

Writing IS ART.

Yes, there are rules.

Yes, you have to be skilled enough to know when to abide by them and when to break them.

 

But today, we are going to force you to think differently about yourself and your writing capability.

 

HOMEWORK: make a LIST of all the things you believe writing is, for you, then make a second list of how you could be wrong about ALL those beliefs, and an example of how you'd break your own "rules."

I need you to be more FLEXIBLE as an artist.

 

The fact that I know you're a) not writing at all, or b) can't finish that book is because c) you're too rigid in your own beliefs, and d) you're new to this writing world, so you probably are mistaken in many of those beliefs.

 

I said, don't argue...*fingers in ears, humming M*A*S*H...* I can, too, hit the high C at the end. Just listen! :-P

 

Okay, now go do this exercise.

I know you guys are out there, even if you're silent like the grave.

 

You're not commenting because you're scared of me, right?

I can appreciate that. 

 

Now, go off, quietly, and complete this exercise, and if you sneak back later, when I'm not here, to tell the others how this mind-blowing exercise went for you, I promise I won't eavesdrop.

 

And I won't hit you either... probably. :-)