Welcome back to another blog hop, with #OpenBook. Here’s this week’s prompt.
Don’t forget to click the purple button to see what everyone else has to say on this week’s subject. It’s at the end of my post.
What rules of writing do you break on purpose?
There are rules? Seriously, nobody told me there were rules. I had an idea and just started typing.
What happens if you break them? Can I expect a knock on my door at four in the morning from the Grammar Police?
As someone who failed English language at school, twice, I never really learned any rules. In search of answers, I turned to Google to get some clues for this week’s subject.
Now, would that be the five rules, the six rules or the seven rules? There were so many variations on the theme of rules. There seemed to be so much written about what to do and what not to do.
It occurred to me that it would have been better if those words and that energy had been used to write a cracking story instead.
Unless it’s a matter of the utmost importance, like driving a car, or some part of my life that can affect others, I’ve never been one for following the rules too closely.
As far as creativity goes, I’d rather explore and push things. And leave following the rules until I’d tried all the other options.
This is not to say that I don’t understand the need for rules, just that I prefer to use them as guidance, rather than blindly going along with them.
I think that a lot of people use them as an excuse for conforming, which almost certainly stifles your creativity.
And who sets the rules, is it just someone who thinks they know more than I do?
It turns out that many of them are just common sense, which is a relief. Even more than that, by chance I seem to have followed a lot of them.
My apologies, that was never my intention.
Although it does mean that I’m probably safe from the Grammar police for another week.
What do you think about this week’s subject?
Let me know below.
Then, please check out what my fellow writers have to say about this week’s topic.
Until next time.
Let me know what you think about this week’s subject.
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Stevie Turner
I follow a lot of the rules now, except when writing dialogue. I had to learn the rules by trial and error.
Richard Dee
My editor tries to keep me on the straight and narrow, although she has a healthy disrespect for some of the rules, too.
P.J. MacLayne
You’re right, many of the rules are common sense. But we all know how common ‘common sense’ is.
Richard Dee
Quite. As long as there aren’t queues of Grammar Police at my door, I’m content.
Daryl Devore
More people need to follow your advice – This is not to say that I don’t understand the need for rules, just that I prefer to use them as guidance, rather than blindly going along with them.
Too many blindly stumbling along not even wondering why they are following the rule.
Richard Dee
I prefer to think of them as guidelines, it’s always nice to push a bit and see what happens.
Lela Markham
I know the rules and I still don’t give them a lot of thought. I mostly pay attention to them when I’m editing.
Richard Dee
My editor knows the rules, and when to break them. We have a good relationship.