The Ten Commandments of Writing - Continued

Posted by Rick

July 22, 2008

Welcome back. Are you ready for the next five commandments on writing as stated by Mr. King? Here they are (fanfare please….):

6. When your reader sees what you see it’s telepathy - This is my favorite. Think about it for a moment.

7. No need to explain what characters look like - I used to disagree with this until I realized what he meant. What if my character was extremely overweight and I wanted my reader to know this? What Mr. King is saying is to let your character come to life in front of the reader. Give your reader the pertinent information as it relates to the story or your character’s personal traits. Let their minds do the rest. For example: I watched John pull himself from his seat with great effort. The chair creaked with relief as the floorboards groaned in response. Notice I never once came right out and said that John was a particularly large man. I trust my words and the reader to come to the same conclusion.

8. Show rather than tell – DIALOGUE must be realistic - This could be split into two commandments. The “show rather than tell” applies to the action. Show your reader that John has a tender side without coming right out and saying it. This can be done with dialogue or his actions. And pay special attention to the dialogue. Many good stories are ruined by wooden or unrealistic dialogue. If John is uneducated he might not talk like a lawyer. Visualize him talking and let your creativity do the rest.

9. Symbolism can be a good thing when used sparingly - From the master of symbolism himself. Unless your writing the sequel to The Da Vinci Code remember that not everything is symbolic.

10. Watch the pace of your story - Going back to my example yesterday on being descriptive (Commandment #3). If your character is being chased by a psycho killer don’t suddenly stop the action to describe the architecture of the house they are running through. Keep the story fluid and moving. When re-reading, identify the parts where the story feels like it’s dragging or moving too fast.

And now for Commandment 11. Yes Virginia, there is an 11.

11. Remember there are no rules in writing. Let your voice and your mind roam free.

Ok - 11 is mine. But I’m sure Mr King would wholeheartedly agree.

The Ten Commandments of Writing