tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4538744000429800248.post4618343896656582127..comments2023-10-30T07:08:09.860-07:00Comments on It's a Mystery: Follow the Rules. Really?Elspeth Futcherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10330102545384369360noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4538744000429800248.post-74862116916536146412011-03-21T11:48:58.243-07:002011-03-21T11:48:58.243-07:00Shewriting; You don't need anyone to give you ...Shewriting; You don't need anyone to give you permission; remember the Nike motto: Just Do It!Elspeth Futcherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10330102545384369360noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4538744000429800248.post-27394566940872991942011-03-21T11:46:33.048-07:002011-03-21T11:46:33.048-07:00ah, yes. Thank you for giving us permission to fo...ah, yes. Thank you for giving us permission to forgo the stifling rules every once in a while, sometimes I forget :)Sheilahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06541409754494611831noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4538744000429800248.post-87937568869778449242011-03-21T09:55:23.655-07:002011-03-21T09:55:23.655-07:00Mary; I agree, it is better to think of them as gu...Mary; I agree, it is better to think of them as guidelines rather than rules. But for that new writer, all those lists say 'rules', which is rather frightening.<br /><br />Maryann; I'm so glad you call them guidelines in your workshops! What a relief that must be to the participants.<br /><br />Carol; It's true; that's where the fun stuff usually resides. It just takes a bit Elspeth Futcherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10330102545384369360noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4538744000429800248.post-69740284558706181772011-03-21T09:44:13.672-07:002011-03-21T09:44:13.672-07:00Elspeth - Oh, you are so right! Or write. Or whate...Elspeth - Oh, you are <i>so</i> right! Or write. Or whatever. The fact is, the story is so much more important than whether or not you've used the passive voice. It's a lot more important than whether you've allowed a character to whisper, giggle, sing or say something. Sometimes, the character has to whisper, giggle or sing something for the story to be a good one. The best Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4538744000429800248.post-80121371121109707592011-03-21T09:38:31.132-07:002011-03-21T09:38:31.132-07:00Don't sweat the small stuff. Write the damn bo...Don't sweat the small stuff. Write the damn book. <br /><br />Terry<br /><a href="http://terryodell.blogspot.com" rel="nofollow">Terry's Place</a><br /><a href="http://www.terryodell.com" rel="nofollow">Romance with a Twist--of Mystery</a>Terry Odellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11610682530545306687noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4538744000429800248.post-87661186262603128512011-03-21T09:22:44.473-07:002011-03-21T09:22:44.473-07:00I always find fun stuff when I veer off the path :...I always find fun stuff when I veer off the path :)Carol Kilgorehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15168273312704732896noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4538744000429800248.post-23549244549642687072011-03-21T08:06:03.183-07:002011-03-21T08:06:03.183-07:00Good advice, and I agree with Mary. I have read so...Good advice, and I agree with Mary. I have read some really good books that broke many of these rules. I wish we could just always think of them as guidelines, and when I do editing workshops I stress to the participants that these are only guides, not edicts written in stone.Maryannwriteshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09479027709233807149noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4538744000429800248.post-83071476403190690842011-03-21T06:49:50.798-07:002011-03-21T06:49:50.798-07:00Sometimes an excellent voice doesn't follow th...Sometimes an excellent voice doesn't follow the rules. It becomes a case of what must be done to make sense and flow. 'Rules" are only guidelines after all.Mary@GigglesandGunshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07350818228268801008noreply@blogger.com