Lisa Tener

Book Writing Coach

writing rules

“No More Writing Rules.”

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wrritingWriting Rules: Do They Trump Your Gut?

In a recent book concept consultation, a new client shared her new writing rules: she’d read that all books should have “three acts” no matter whether the book is self-help, memoir or a novel.

She tried to implement the writing rules she’d read about, to fit the structure of her book into three acts. The book just refused to cooperate.
Then she made a list of some of her all-time favorite self-help books. None of them seemed to fit the three act formula.
Still, she doubted herself. So we asked her muse, her inner creative guidance, for clarity, as I led her through a guided visualization.
Her muse was clear. “No more writing rules.”
Yes, there are some excellent guidelines for writing that can help make your writing come to life for readers. Yet, the most important guidance is your inner guidance. Experts don’t know everything. And they don’t know your book.
Only one working structure for any book? Nah. Just a guideline. An option. Not THE LAW.

Writing Rules are Guidelines

Writing Rules should serve a purpose. They should help you write a book that resonates for your readers and makes a positive impact on their lives.

Writing Rules are not immutable laws. There are exceptions to every rule—often many.

Some of the most successful books break the rules. Who would have thought that a chapter of PowerPoint slides would work in a novel? Yet, A Visit from the Goon Squad won a Pulitzer Prize.

Take risks on the page. Some will work and some will not. A strong editor and honest beta readers will give you the feedback you need.

And ultimately, you’ll need to trust your own inner guidance as well.

Can You Read While Your Write?

reading

I also wondered about all the writing books this author continued to read—and the novels and self-help books, too. Was it working for her? Or could some of the stuckness she mentioned be traced back to “over-reading?”

We asked her muse about that, too.
“You’re not allowed to read any new books—just books you’ve read before—uplifting books only. Books that help you connect.”
Even then, her muse insisted she read those books only at night, well after writing time.
Write. That’s what her muse wanted her to do. Write.
Reading has its place but behind the writing. After the writing. Secondary.
Write. Then read.
Trust your own muse.
Trust your creative source.
Trust yourself.
Reader, what’s your experience? How much reading works for you and when? How about writing rules? Which work for you? Which don’t? How can you tell? Share your comments.

How Good Writing is like Sizzling Passion: Lessons in Foreplay, Trust and Intimacy

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Your book writing coach

Yesterday, I edited a chapter from one of my students in my Bring Your Book to Life Program. With her permission I share her mistakes–mistakes that I made when I first started and mistakes many novice authors make.

Ironically, her book teaches women about sexual intimacy (and how to reignite passion in their marriage) and yet her errors—so common to many new aspiring authors—went against many of her top lessons about foreplay, trust and intimacy.

Here then are 3 Rules of Good Writing right out of her passion toolkit :

1. Know Where to Start:

Foreplay is about what will turn your partner on.  So, what will turn your reader onto what they’re reading?

This author began chapter one with a dialogue without any action or description.  I needed to meet the author first, or meet the couple who were arguing—at least be able to picture them.

Think about what your reader needs from you so they will be compelled by the material and committed to reading further.

writing coach lisa tener
Take off those sunglasses and establish some real intimacy with your reader. Much as I like this photo (maybe because the glasses hide my wrinkles) I had never used it in a blog post until now--because the sunglasses get in the way of intimacy. They send the wrong message.

2. Get Intimate with Your Reader:

Good writing is about relationship. As an author, you are developing a relationship with your readers. Readers, plural, but one at a time. Readers don’t want to think of themselves as a mob. As a reader, I am most seduced by a writer to addresses me as “You.”

I often find new writers address their readers as, “Many of you…” as in, “Many of you will see yourself in these stories.”

I asked my student to imagine saying, “Many of you…” to her husband in bed.

As a writer, you are establishing a relationship with your reader, an intimate relationship—the more intimate the better.

Instead of addressing your readers as, “Many of you…” if you are afraid to make an assumption about all readers, just say, “You may see yourself in these stories….” Or “If you see yourself in these stories…”

Just say, “YOU.”

If you think about your reader as a person, rather than a mob, that will come through in your writing—and your reader will feel a stronger connection to you.

3. Trust Your Reader:

Don’t do what I just did two sentences ago: Do not capitalize, underline or bold words just to emphasize them. Trust your reader.

In a blog, for visual purposes, you may want to bold, underline or color certain words. That can help keep the blog post visually interesting.

However, when writing a book, even a how-to book, you must trust your reader to understand which words to emphasize.  Occasionally, if it really helps clarify, you can italicize a word, but I’d save that for a definition or something akin to defining a word.

For a bullet list, such as a list of instructions, you can bold certain phrases that begin a bullet or numbered list. But don’t bold or capitalize a word just to emphasize. Use bold more for a visual effect and to organize the material.

Now you’re ready for some sizzling…writing.

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