20 Unspoken Rules for WRITERS.
Lesson from C.S.M.
I developed this last a couple months ago but thought it was worth sharing again.
Here are 20 Unspoken Rules for WRITERS:
1. Never stop reading.
2. Don't compare your first draft to someone else's published work.
3. Always carry a way to capture your ideas.
4. Revise and edit ruthlessly.
5. Never underestimate the importance of a strong opening line.
6. Don't let self-doubt hold you back.
7. Write with precision and brevity.
8. Set self-imposed deadlines.
9. Don't forget the importance of research.
10. Save every draft as a new document.
11. Kill your darlings.
12. Seek feedback from trusted peers or beta readers.
13. Don't compare your writing journey to others'; each path is unique.
14. Take criticism like a professional.
15. Embrace the editing process; it's where your rough draft becomes polished.
16. Don't shy away from experimentation.
17. Never stop studying the craft.
18. Write with intention; every word should serve a purpose.
19. Don't forget to celebrate small victories along the way.
20. Never lose sight of why you write; passion fuels creativity and perseverance.
Want to go deeper? There are 2 ways I can help you:
Great list. I think the "opening line" one is super underrated, and I love teaching great opening lines to my AP students. It's, in fact, something I'm going to write about in a future post.
Two of the best in my opinion are from Hemingway's Old Man and the Sea: "He was an old man who fished alone in a skiff in the Gulf Stream and he had gone eighty-four days now without taking a fish."
And from Albert Camus' The Stranger: "Maman died today. Or yesterday maybe, I don’t know."
This is gold. Every single item on this list.