Writing advice is everywhere. “Write every day.” “Show, don’t tell.” “Kill your darlings.” (RIP to all the characters I should have axed but couldn’t.) While some advice is gold, let’s be honest: not all of it fits every writer. I’ve come to realize that the best advice is the stuff that works for you—even if it means ignoring the so-called rules.
This week, as I wrestled with a particularly stubborn scene, I found myself breaking every piece of “good” advice I’d ever heard. And you know what? The world didn’t end. My laptop didn’t explode. My draft didn’t combust. In fact, I might’ve stumbled onto something that works better for me than any writing manual ever could.
Writing Advice I Always Ignore
“Write Every Day”
Who came up with this, and were they okay? Sure, daily writing sounds great in theory, but some days, I just don’t have it in me. Sometimes I need to think, plan, or—let’s be real—binge my favorite show. And that’s okay. Creativity isn’t a factory; it’s a messy, unpredictable thing.“Never Use Adverbs”
Let me tell you this loudly and unapologetically: I love adverbs. Sometimes, they’re exactly what the sentence needs. Could I rewrite “She said quietly” to something more descriptive? Sure. But does it always matter? Not really. Sometimes, an adverb is perfect.“Outline Everything”
Outlining is my nemesis. I’ve tried it. I’ve failed at it. I’ve cried about it. These days, I write with the barest skeleton of a plan and let the story surprise me. Is it chaotic? Yes. But it’s my kind of chaos.
What Works for Me
Breaking the rules doesn’t mean throwing structure out the window. It means finding what fuels your creativity instead of stifling it. For me, that looks like:
- Writing in Bursts: Some weeks, I’ll write every day. Other weeks, I won’t touch my draft. I let the rhythm of my creativity guide me.
- Trusting My Instincts: If something feels right—whether it’s an adverb, a random plot twist, or a character that showed up uninvited—I run with it.
- Making Room for Fun: Writing doesn’t have to feel like homework. The best scenes I’ve written came from letting myself play, experiment, and laugh at my own ridiculous ideas.
Advice I’d Actually Give
If I were to give advice to another writer (or even myself), it would be this:
- Do What Works for You: Forget the rules if they don’t serve you. Write at midnight, use all the adverbs, and keep the characters everyone tells you to kill. It’s your story.
- Let Yourself Be Messy: First drafts aren’t supposed to be perfect. Let them be wild and weird—you can always clean them up later.
- Find Your Joy: Writing is hard, yes, but it should also be fun. If you’re not enjoying it, something’s off.
What Advice Do You Ignore?
I know I’m not the only one who has tossed a piece of writing advice out the window. What’s a rule you always break? Or maybe there’s advice you swear by that others can’t stand. Let’s hear it—I’m always curious about how other writers navigate this beautifully messy craft.
Here’s to Breaking the Rules
The thing about writing is, there are no hard and fast rules. There’s just you, your story, and whatever process gets the words on the page. So ignore the advice that doesn’t work for you, embrace the chaos, and write the way only you can.
Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to add a few more adverbs to my draft. Quietly. Loudly. Dramatically. (Sorry, writing police—you can’t catch me.)
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