Ten Rules for Writing Fiction

I had a completely different post in mind for today, but then a friend posted this link on Facebook and I thought it would be more fun to share what a variety of different writers had to say. From the U.K. Guardian, here's the intro:

Ten rules for writing fiction

Get an accountant, abstain from sex and similes, cut, rewrite, then cut and rewrite again – if all else fails, pray. Inspired by Elmore Leonard's 10 Rules of Writing, we asked authors for their personal dos and don'ts.

Follow this link to the first half of the article; the second half is here.


My favorite quote of the article is this one from Philip Pullman:

"My main rule is to say no to things like this, which tempt me away from my proper work."

You'll note that's his only quote in the article. Cheeky bastard. :-)