Shannan, I always LOVE, sincerely and truly, no exaggeration, I always love when you are so honest and creative in one amazing tsnami of a written share for us. Thank you, especially for this one.... with this read, I am running to get words on paper --words that I hadn't realised I've been stuffing down!
Yes, I believe there are good rules for writers but they’re maps, not the landscape. Run-on sentences are bad unless you’re Faulkner or anyone who’s inspired to let sentences be wild ponies that love the newfound power of their legs. I show my students V.S. Naipaul’s rules for beginning writers and they’re very good. But also not much fun. The next week I show them Neil Gaiman’s rules. Very good and much fun. I’m convinced that any rules that keep us writing are great. And any writer who’s a little too wild for the rules is worth reading. Once again, thank you Shannan. As usual, we can feel the engine humming behind your writing. That makes people want to write more.
Thank you for this generous comment, Richard. I love the way you put it...rules as "maps, not landscapes". That feels exactly right. & I too feel less interested in which rules people follow than in how they start breaking them ... that’s usually where the writing gets interesting.
"If a sentence feels too long, let it keep going..." my mantra also.
I once had a classmate reviewing my work who said my sentences were too long.
I know it's because she couldn't read that much in one breath. She was addicted to bits and pieces thrown at her from social media. Or wherever.
My newspaper editor and I used to have a contest about who could write the longest sentence without losing the core of the "story" in it. I always won :-)
This is great. I’ve always felt the long sentence is less about breath and more about stamina — whether the writer has the engine to keep it alive. Sounds like you do. 💙
This piece just got so many wheels turning that I hardly know where to start, but I guess I already have so I 'll keep going. All these are provocative, but the ignore "write what you know" is the best IMO, Shannan. I'm pretty even tempered, but the advice to stay in my lane makes me mad. If we only wrote what we know, there would be zero creativity. Besides, any time someone shares what they know, someone tells them they are pontificating. Besides, besides, I'd have precious little to say (maybe some would applaud) because I know almost nothing for absolutely certain. Far less than I used to. Kudos to you as well, for not keeping Karan to yourself.
As ever, thank you David and yep, exactly — “write what you know” has always felt like the fastest way to shrink a writer’s world. Most of the work I love comes from writers trespassing, wandering into what they don’t know yet, and making something alive there.
I love it that you say that, Shannan. And I think it applies to the writing police’s finger shaking at cultural appropriation. I can see the issue if you are writing intentional distortions of a group. But if you are clearly using your imagination, go for it.
Whenever I'm stuck with writing, I find it easiest to just let go of my expectations that my writing has to be good and remind myself why I'm writing in the first place - myself! And once I get over the hurdle, letting myself write the run-ons and weirdness, I find out that maybe it wasn't so bad after all. You've got it totally right!!
Shannan, I always LOVE, sincerely and truly, no exaggeration, I always love when you are so honest and creative in one amazing tsnami of a written share for us. Thank you, especially for this one.... with this read, I am running to get words on paper --words that I hadn't realised I've been stuffing down!
You're wonderful, thank you Janet! 💙
Algorithm is in my favour today, keep sharing!
Hahah, thanks Anushka! 💙
#3 was my fav- Let that one strange thing stay. Done, strange things are staying from here on
Thank you Vijay 💙
Awesome! I especially love the thought racing down the stairs half dressed and not ready image! lol! Well done!
Haha, thanks Lauren -- been there far too often 💙
Number 5 🫣
👀💙
Yes, I believe there are good rules for writers but they’re maps, not the landscape. Run-on sentences are bad unless you’re Faulkner or anyone who’s inspired to let sentences be wild ponies that love the newfound power of their legs. I show my students V.S. Naipaul’s rules for beginning writers and they’re very good. But also not much fun. The next week I show them Neil Gaiman’s rules. Very good and much fun. I’m convinced that any rules that keep us writing are great. And any writer who’s a little too wild for the rules is worth reading. Once again, thank you Shannan. As usual, we can feel the engine humming behind your writing. That makes people want to write more.
Thank you for this generous comment, Richard. I love the way you put it...rules as "maps, not landscapes". That feels exactly right. & I too feel less interested in which rules people follow than in how they start breaking them ... that’s usually where the writing gets interesting.
Big supporter of #4!! Why should we have to figure it out before sitting down to write? Nothing would ever get written that way.
Exactly!! 💙💙
Love this (it’s just what I needed today) and love the way you said it, thank you!
So happy to hear that Louise 💙
YES to number 3! Obsessed with this list!
Thank you so much Kait! 💙
There will always be someone reading your stuff!
"If a sentence feels too long, let it keep going..." my mantra also.
I once had a classmate reviewing my work who said my sentences were too long.
I know it's because she couldn't read that much in one breath. She was addicted to bits and pieces thrown at her from social media. Or wherever.
My newspaper editor and I used to have a contest about who could write the longest sentence without losing the core of the "story" in it. I always won :-)
Keep on writing, I'll keep on reading you.
This is great. I’ve always felt the long sentence is less about breath and more about stamina — whether the writer has the engine to keep it alive. Sounds like you do. 💙
This piece just got so many wheels turning that I hardly know where to start, but I guess I already have so I 'll keep going. All these are provocative, but the ignore "write what you know" is the best IMO, Shannan. I'm pretty even tempered, but the advice to stay in my lane makes me mad. If we only wrote what we know, there would be zero creativity. Besides, any time someone shares what they know, someone tells them they are pontificating. Besides, besides, I'd have precious little to say (maybe some would applaud) because I know almost nothing for absolutely certain. Far less than I used to. Kudos to you as well, for not keeping Karan to yourself.
As ever, thank you David and yep, exactly — “write what you know” has always felt like the fastest way to shrink a writer’s world. Most of the work I love comes from writers trespassing, wandering into what they don’t know yet, and making something alive there.
I love it that you say that, Shannan. And I think it applies to the writing police’s finger shaking at cultural appropriation. I can see the issue if you are writing intentional distortions of a group. But if you are clearly using your imagination, go for it.
yep yep heck yeah
Thank you Debra! 💙
i already tend to follow all of these, but have trouble remembering #5. appreciate these reminders!
Thank you Alexis! 💙
Whenever I'm stuck with writing, I find it easiest to just let go of my expectations that my writing has to be good and remind myself why I'm writing in the first place - myself! And once I get over the hurdle, letting myself write the run-ons and weirdness, I find out that maybe it wasn't so bad after all. You've got it totally right!!
Yes, so happy to see fellow weirdness lovers haha. Thank you Chloe! 💙
Thanks for overwriting our collective internalized voices, for all of us who come in our own way.
Haha you're so sweet, thank you Pratima 💙
keep making them up!!!!
Thank you Peter, I shall! 💙