Neil Gaiman, author of a slew of books, comic books, and screenplays, is among the many who have specific rules for writing. But do these rules make sense for everyone? Probably not. After all, every author is different when it comes to procedures and processes.
However, that doesn’t mean you can’t pick the elements that fit your situation and create your own rules.
In fact, it’s always a good idea to closely examine the flow of any successful author you enjoy. While you may not become as renowned as Neil Gaiman, perhaps his sentiments can help you write and publish your books more often.
There’s nothing wrong with picking and choosing what works best for you.
The 8 Rules of Writing from Neil Gaiman
The term “rules for writing” sounds official. In reality, they’re more like guidelines than rules. When an author creates a list of rules, it’s merely showing the world what worked best in his or her circumstance. And since we all have unique voices, situations, and lifestyles, following those so-called rules is sometimes impossible.
However, you can pick and choose those rules that make the most sense for your specific needs and wants. It’s not about what Neil Gaiman can write, but about what and how you can write.
With that being said, how do I interpret the rules Neil Gaiman laid out?
As simple as it may sound, he’s correct. Sit down and start writing without worrying about whether it’s good or not. No one publishes the first draft, and the editing phase is where you make the manuscript shine.
In the first-draft stage, the point is to get the story out of you. Don’t worry about having an interesting first line or an engaging first scene. The chances are great that you’re going to change the first lines of your manuscript anyway.
I’m not entirely sure what this rule means outside of the first, but perhaps typing words in a conscious flow and letting the story take shape. And maybe, finding the perfect word to describe scenes and characters.
Whenever I am writing my books, I have a tab open to Google specifically to look up synonyms. I knew there was a different word I wanted to use, but couldn’t think of it off hand. That’s when a quick search results in finding a lot of great words that accentuate what I am describing.
Finish writing the story. Even if it doesn’t seem to make sense or it feels like it’s falling apart in places, wrap up the first draft. Remember, you’re not writing for perfection. Your primary concern is to get the story out in the world.
Even if you have another idea that you’d rather work on, try to finish the first. This is coming from someone who had a terrible habit of collecting partially written stories. Once I made a commitment to myself to finish what I started, I published Kingmaker and Shadows of Atlantic City.
I know me, and I know that if I don’t do what it takes to finish just the first draft of a story, it will never get done. Usually, this is from a lack of time or procrastination. If I wait too long, then I’ll forget the story even existed until I stumble across it, several years later.
Either way, things have been working well for me since dedicating myself to finishing one story at a time.
Putting the manuscript aside is among the best things to do once the first draft is completed. Time helps clear the mind, and you’re able to find all kinds of flaws or develop new ideas to improve the tale when you come back to the story.
According to Tom Bromley of Reedsy’s masterclass, you should take a four to six-week break after the first draft is done before the first round of edits. Besides, I find it quite fun to go back and re-read my stories and fall in love with them all over again.
Showing it to friends can be a slippery slope, however. You need to trust their opinion and know they’re not just going to say it’s good for the sake of saving your feelings.
I often use beta readers to help polish up the tale. And their opinions helped me shape Kingmaker into a far better book and bring Shadows of Atlantic City to life.
Constructive criticism should always be welcome, especially if several readers find a glaring flaw in character or plot development. However, you don’t want to implement all of their suggestions. Some things may simply not work well for what you have planned or the development you envision for the story.
You are the author; you have the last say in what gets published. Well, that is, unless your agent or publisher pushes for certain changes. That’s why I self-publish, as I don’t write for an audience of one.
Anyway, you can listen to feedback. Just don’t make sweeping changes based on what someone thinks is wrong and what they would do to fix it. They are not you, and that is your story.
Do not try to write the perfect story or create the perfect scene. Perfection does not exist. You can edit and try to polish up the story as much as you can. But at some point, you need to let it go and move on to the next.
Every author can look back at books they’ve published over the years and find ways to “make them better.” You don’t want to spend 10 years tinkering with a single book, trying desperately to accomplish some form of perfection that exists only in your mind, especially if you have so many other ideas waiting.
Yes, you want to produce the best work possible. But don’t get hung up on making it a perfect manuscript. Writing a good book is subjective, and you’re not going to please 100% of the people 100% of the time.
Laughing at your own jokes is a good sign for your story. After all, you’re writing it as much for you as you are for someone else. And if you’re not entertained, how can you expect anyone else to feel so?
I don’t believe any author should view their story with contempt. Unfortunately, I see it all the time on social media, which is one of the many reasons why I haven’t been as active lately. If you don’t love the story you’re telling, why write it?
So, yes, I agree wholeheartedly with Neil Gaiman in this instance. Laugh at your own jokes, cry at the sad parts, and really feel connected to your characters and plots.
To me, this sentiment rings quite true and is something I say all the time on the blog and YouTube channel. Write the story you want to tell, how you want to tell it. Be true to yourself as well as the characters.
Don’t worry about who you offend. As an author, you’re going to offend someone for a plethora of reasons. If the story calls for controversial elements, then so be it. As I’ve said before, you’re not going to please everyone.
Usually, the ones you offend are not your target audience for the story anyway. And when you start censoring yourself, that’s when the artistic part of writing dies.
This doesn’t mean you should go out of your way to be an abnoxiously vile person. It simply means you need to write the story you want to tell as best as you can tell it, regardless of how others might feel.
Be Inspired By Neil Gaiman, But Don’t Compare Yourself
The eight rules set by Neil Gaiman are meant to be inspirational. Most authors worth their salt don’t view others as competition. A lot of them will go out of their way to help new authors find what works best for them.
It’s perfectly fine to find inspiration from your favorite authors. However, you don’t want to compare their success to your own. To do so would set yourself up for disappointment and failure.
There are simply too many variables at play to duplicate the success of someone else. Besides, you don’t know what that author had to go through on a personal level to reach those levels of success.
Gaiman has had in hands in a lot of varying projects and worked hard at expanding his skillset to accomplish all that he has. From books to movies, he has had a long and amazing career. Be inspired to make your own career amazing, but don’t try to copy the same level of success.
Your needs and wants will surely be different from those of other authors. Work to achieve your dreams, not someone else’s.
What Rules Do You Follow?
Perhaps the most important rule I follow is to avoid writing for perfection. The first draft may look like a trainwreck burning in a tire fire. Yet, the editing phase will let you polish that turd into something grand.
The story you’re writing now is not the one you’ll publish. What I mean by this is that you’ll undoubtedly make a lot of changes before you submit the manuscript to an agent or publish it yourself. That’s because you want to release the best version of the story once it is done.
In some cases, you may go so far as to rewrite the entire plot or an entire character arc.
Find inspiration in the rules of others, but realize that your experience is going to be different. Create your own rules and follow them while writing. You may just wind up inspiring yourself.
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