January 12, 2025
What is the biggest “don’t” in writing?
What should a writer never do?
There’s a simple answer to this question – don’t give up. If you enjoy writing, keep at it. Even if you are writing only for an audience of one – you – stick with it.
Now that’s out of the way –
Don’t skip the hard stuff. Grammar. Spelling and punctuation. Make sure you are using the right words in a context your reader will understand. And that the words are put together in a rational order. There are people who can break the rules and be successful. William Carlos Williams. Grandma Moses. Lady Gaga. They put a lot of work into their unconventional styles. We may dream about being successful no matter how we write, but the chances of that happening are near zero. Shoot, it’s hard to be recognized even if you follow all the rules.
Now, if you are writing for a private journal, you can ease up on those rules. But if you want to pass your memories on to other generations, don’t. The language will have changed enough over the years to potentially make reading difficult. (There are sites where people attempt to interpret recipes, letters and historical documents written by long-dead relatives. Fascinating to give it a try yourself.)
Anything else?
There are lots of other rules. Don’t be harsh to other writers. Don’t plagiarize. And another one, more important than the others – be kind.
What advice do the other authors on this hop offer? Find out by following the links below.
As always, until next time, please stay safe
Goal update: I’m just over 27,000 words. I’ve also changed the tentative name of the book, but I’m still not entirely sold on it.
January 12, 2025
What is the biggest “don’t” in writing? (What should a writer never do?)