I come across a lot of sites and blog posts that talk about writing rules as if they were on the tablets Moses brought down from the mountain. I’m talking about rules like:

• Avoid adverbs
• Always use “said.” Any other dialogue tag is distracting
• Don’t head hop
• Don’t start consecutive paragraphs with the same word
• Etc.

But those rules don’t describe good writing. They describe what happens to be in fashion today. And frankly, if every writer followed them to the letter, we’d all sound the same and pretty bland. 

Oops, I started that last sentence with a conjunction. Hack! Or maybe not. That particular rule seems to be going out of fashion. And that’s a good thing. Not that I break it much.

I’ve read plenty of stories that broke all the rules and yet resonated with me and left me wanting more. It’s the story. It’s the characters. It’s not adherence to the rules. I treat the rules as guidelines. I sometimes break them.

In 50 or 100 years, people might read books from the early 21st century and marvel at how many writing rules we broke. But that won’t stop them from enjoying our stories.

It will take my editor 4-6 weeks to edit the story, so I won’t know until sometime in September whether I’ll publish it. I’ve taken a leap of faith and chosen a cover designer, so that if I go ahead with publication, I’ll have the front cover when I announce the book.

If you read lesbian fiction and/or mysteries, you may be familiar with Patty Henderson. Patty writes horror stories and the Brenda Strange mystery series. She’s also a cover designer. We’ll work on the front cover while the story is being edited.

Stay tuned!

I’ve read a couple of books, but will refrain from reviewing either. One was a lesbian fiction novel. I don’t review fiction for the following reasons:

1. Beyond spelling and basic grammar, any review is subjective. The same could be said of non-fiction, but at least you can give some idea of the credibility of the author and the breadth and depth of the material.
2. I don’t throw stones when I’m inside a glass house.

I also read Reason, Faith, and Revolution: Reflections on the God Debate by Terry Eagleton. If there’s one thing I’ve learned from my many years of hanging around the net, it’s to never, ever discuss religion, so no review on that one, either.    Check out the reviews on Amazon.

The next book I’ll tackle is Elizabeth’s Women by Tracy Borman. Yes, another book about Elizabeth I, but given her long reign, there’s a lot to say. The book isn’t out in North America yet. I bought my copy from the Book Depository.

Other than that, I’ve finished the first draft of the September Rymellan story, and my computer has almost finished reading the fantasy story to me. So progress on both fronts.

I hope you’re enjoying your summer and that you’re somewhere cooler than I am!

I’ve noticed that some folks use the term “pantser” to describe those who wing it. I guess it’s derived from “seat of the pants.” For some reason, I always envision someone heavy-breathing into a phone when I read “pantser,” so I think I’ll stick with “winging it” and “organic writer.”

Normally I feel a sense of relief, and certainly a sense of accomplishment, when I finish a first draft. But this time, I felt sad. I like the fantasy characters very much, so I’ll miss our daily time together. Editing the story won’t be the same. It’ll be akin to watching videos of people, rather than being with them.

I like the Rymellan characters too, but when I finish a Rymellan story, I know I’ll soon “see” the characters again. Not so with the fantasy characters, but we may meet again in the future. I tied up the fantasy story with a neat little bow, but I left myself a couple of hooks I can pick up later, should I decide to write another story with the same characters. I suspect I eventually will.

For the past several months, I’ve worked on the fantasy between 9 and 11 every morning. I felt at a loose end this morning when it sank in that I don’t have to do that anymore. I’ll start to edit the fantasy next week, but I don’t have to edit two hours a day to make my deadline. I won’t have any trouble filling the extra free time, though. By this time next week, I’ll be back to wishing there were more than 24 hours in a day!

I hope to take a few books off my “to read” pile, which has grown considerably. I’m currently working my way through Oprah by Kitty Kelley.

Enjoy your weekend.