Oh, These Silly, Senseless Rules!

Posted on by kaisywmills

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Self-publishing – why are there so many rules?

Look, the perk to being an indie author is having total control of creativity, deadlines, and event planning.  But as I read author interviews, blog posts, and other internet fodder, I have noticed that there are a few specific “rules” that writers “must” follow.

No, I refuse to follow these stupid rules.

1. No, I won’t “kill my darlings”.  If I like character, he or she will remain a vital component of the plot line.  If I like it, it stays.  End of story – no pun intended.

Characters will not simply give their lives for the greater good of this dumb rule.  Hell, I am trying to convince my writing partner, James, to kill off the main character and salvage the villain.

*Well, in this case, my darling is not James’s darling.  Ultimately, no one dies!  Long live all of my darlings!

2. Our writing style is clear.  Again, end of story.  If I want to throw in an active verb next to an adverb, I will.  If I want to put the word “said” after the last word the character said, I will.

“This is a stupid rule,” Kaisy said.

Yes – this is idiotic.

“I will not conform to this format,” said Kaisy.

This is my style – this is my rule.

3. I understand that authors need to write, write, and write some more to get their stories out to the public.  However, how much is too much?  Shouldn’t quality trump quantity?  I honestly don’t know how authors spit out novels in mere minutes.  The authors I know and love take years to fine tune and complete their works.

James and I have been working on our novel, StarChild, since 2012.  StarChild has changed three times, and each time, it improves.  God, if we published StarChild in 2013, our families would have disowned us for embarrassing the self-publishing community.

4. Lastly, who says I have to be on EVERY social media and publishing platform?  There are way too many internet juggernauts.  If you like City-State, read it.  It’s right here.

Take your time.

Don’t quit your day job.

And consider the rules for writing – there are none.

31 thoughts on “Oh, These Silly, Senseless Rules!”

  1. Good article. I agree with breaking all those rules. As a writer, I think you should do what you feel is right for the story and not what everyone else apperently thinks is right. These silly, senseless rules indeed.

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    1. Thanks! I appreciate your comment!

      If your writing is not a terrible, hot, disgusting mess to where it is incoherent and illegible, there are no rules!

      Let the story go, and let the characters be themselves.

      If you (the writer), love it, then the readers should embrace it. If not, there is plenty of stuff out there to read (and hopefully comprehend). 🙂

      Thanks again! Have a wonderful day!

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      1. I’m looking forward to reading more of your writings!

        Yeah, sometimes I write wrong “on purpose,” so I suppose I’ll run into similar things. Thanks for pioneering for me! 😉

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    1. Michael, I love that line! Awesome!

      And there’s this – I am a full time teacher. Therefore, I have to follow a bunch of rules at work. No questions asked.

      Here in City-State, I can do whatever the hell I want. No questions asked. 🙂

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    1. Thank you so much! You are so right! James and I LOVE critical feedback, but when someone suggests to move the entire plot frame around or picks apart every sentence, those people can move on!

      And unfortunately, everyone IS a critic due to the internet.

      We just have to weed them out – haters gonna hate! 🙂

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  7. Do what you feel is best! Your words spark conversation which means they’re resonating. Isn’t that the main goal as a writer? Then again I’ve written for me and only me for so long I don’t know the first thing about getting my writing out there.

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    1. Exactly! James and I use City-State as a hobby right now, but we hope that one day it will turn into something bigger. However, we are not going to conform to one particular standard.

      City-State is our world, and we are going to run it as we please! 😉

      Thanks for reading!

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  8. Thanks for following my blog. I hope that my upcoming posts about what I know about freelancing, making money as a writer, and the resources I’ve found helpful will be beneficial to you both as authors.

    I enjoyed reading this post. I admire your sass. You’re right; those basic rules are guidelines to help beginning writers. Once you’ve found your style, the rules no longer need apply.

    You guys seem to be well-versed in self publishing, which I have looked into but haven’t yet done. Please feel free to comment on my blog with any insights into this world, or any aspect of writing, when the subject inevitably arises. I love learning new things. I look forward to checking out your writing.

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  10. You don’t have to be on every social media platform, but you can link them together and be on multiple ones with one post. Just within WordPress you can post to all of the major ones from your blog post. Twitter and Facebook seem to bring the most value.

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  12. Well said, I find that self-publishing is a lot more work than I thought! I started my novel 9 years ago, and I still have made a few changes along the way. I think writing is what you make of it, and I think as long as you enjoy it, you will always succeed.

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    1. Yes, you are exactly right! Reading “expert advice” always pisses me off! 🙂 I can do whatever I want – as long as I don’t quit my day job! 🙂 Thanks for reading, Tara, and keep writing!

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