45 Writers’ “Rules for Writing”

by Emily Harstone

Most writers have their own special “rules for writing,” even if they don’t talk about them. I find other writers’ rules fascinating, even when I don’t agree with them. A lot can be learned by reading about other authors’ approaches to writing. The New York Times and The Guardian have published famous authors’ answers to this question on a number of occasions. The Guardian has a very long, disorganized article that collects many of the rules, which you can read here. The Marginalian has a collection of advice from writers, that is more in-depth and less focused on “rules”, that you can read here.

This article is an attempt to organize that collection and to link to other authors’ rules as well, including more recently published authors’ rules on writing.

Below are links to different writers’ rules on writing. The authors are in no particular order.

1. Elmore Leonard’s 10 Rules

His most famous piece of advice? “If it sounds like writing, I rewrite it”.

2. George Orwell’s 6 Tips for Effective Writing

Orwell gives readers full permission to ignore his rules.

3. Nietzche’s 10 Rules for Writing

His rules were originally written down in a series of letters to a female psychoanalyst.

4. Neil Gaiman’s 8 Rules for Writing

It would be hard to dispute his first rule.

Read the full article: 

https://seanhtaylor.blogspot.com/2023/04/45-writers-rules-for-writing.html