The Ten Commandments of Writing

Posted by Rick
July 21, 2008

In my favorite writing nook there was a piece of paper I use to keep taped to the wall beside me.  My writing nook has changed since those days and the piece of paper no longer hangs on the wall but the words are here in my laptop and I pull the document up every now and then as a reminder.  These words are magical and guarded very closely so their power will not fall into the hands of ne’re-do-wells.  What are these magical words?  They are the 10 Commandments on writing by Stephen King.

Now I’ve decided to impart those commandments to my readers.  I don’t recall exactly where I first read them or what mountain top I found them on. I’m also not sure if they are in Mr. King’s exact words or order. I’ve had these for years. Never the less, they have always been a source of inspiration and a good rap across the knuckles when I’ve allowed myself to stray.  I’ll start with the first five today and the next five tomorrow.

So without further ado (The words after the dashes are mine)…

 

1. Do not use the Passive Voice (he was punched) - rather, “the punch landed square on his jaw”

2. Stay away from adverbs (he smiled warmly) - try “the warmth of his smile…”

3. Keep it simple.  Don’t get too descriptive  - Have you ever read a book where the author spent two pages describing a long driveway and the trees surrounding it?

4. Do not Plot. Let story grow itself.  - I admit that I do plot depending on the story and how intricate it is.  I have learned to keep it loose and flexible so the characters can breath and come to life.

5. Begin with a situation.  Let story tell itself. - Similar to #4. The greatest thing about writing is that any given situation can have as many endings as there are words in the dictionary (Ok… perhaps that’s a slight exaggeration).

 

So there you have the first five commandments.  A thank you to Mr. King in Maine and I’ll see you all tomorrow.

 

Image courtesy of Kris Kros

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Comments
Comment by Laurie on July 21, 2008 @ 11:36 pm

Rick- I’ve never heard of “Do not Plot.” Could you go into more detail on that one? PPLLEEAASSEE……

Ol’ Moses looks pretty good to be such an old guy!

Comment by Rick on July 22, 2008 @ 8:29 am

Hi Laurie -

Plotting a story basically involves mapping out everything that is going to happen ahead of time instead of allowing the characters to drive certain aspects of it. You do need a vision as to where you want the story to lead or to take its reader. For example. Let’s say I’m going to write a detective story. I know who will die, who my main characters are, who the villain is, and even a couple of exciting scenes I’d like to write.

I could approach my novel by mapping it out from start to finish, chapter by chapter, and what happens in each. Or I could allow the story to develop on its own. I know the outcome and the salient points or scenes I want to inject the story with along the way but I will let the characters surprise me. The story may even take an exciting detour I never expected. If I were to plot the whole thing out first this might never happen.

Does that help?

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