Hoping you can give me an opinion on this, because I am having a bit of trouble.

I have bought some "How to write a novel books" and there is many idea's, things like "Don't ever do this, and You must do that or you will appear to be a bad writter.

The problem with their ideas is that it hampers me, it ties me up and leaves me on the floor helpless.

I will give you and example.

The book advise to storyboard your whole story, working with index cards, from back to front. This is a critical thing and it must be done.

My mind doesn't work like that..

When I start to write I plant a seed and it grows and twists as I go and I encourage it to flower and evolve. It grows thick and strong and full and becomes something wonderful, and I become lost in it, but there is no planning, other than a vague idea where I want to go. I don't want cards to trip me up, I want a full open canvas that I can go anywhere. I know my basics, I know how to tell a story I just don't know how to tell a story with index cards.

I have tried it, I end up with a dead plant that lacks sunlight and energy and stinks of plastic.

I almost don't want to learn how others do it, fearing of crippling my inner style and voice.

I know I can capture my reader my way, and send them on a ride that they will always remember, I just can't do it with index cards.

Am I the fool the book says I am? or can you write in your own stride to your own drum?

Are these rules set in stone? or is in just one persons ideas on how they find success writing?

It's intimidating a bit.

No these rules are not set in stone. Every person has a different process. Some plan down to minute detail. Other fly by the seat of their pants. Others hit somewhere in the middle. None are wrong. Find your creative process, get the words on the page and edit the heck out of them.

Whenever using a "how to" book, treat it like a salad bar, take what you like and ignore the rest.

Do whatever works for you, no one can tell you what works for you and what doesn't. Plus, how you get the story out won't matter at all. What will matter is the finished product. It's like when I draw. No one cares about all the thumbnail sketches I do, all those excess lines I draw. What they care about is how it looks in the end.

I know when I write, I have to have a basic outline of what happens in story in my head. If I don't have a basic outline, than I'm lost and driving without any sort of direction. But if that works for you, then great! Who cares what works for someone else? There are no set in stone rules when it comes to writing...other than grammar I guess...but even that gets broken.

The rules aren't set in stone, but those people who insist the rules are absolute probably ARE set in stone.

Follow grammatical rules always--the only exceptions I can think of are the use of sentence fragments in fiction. Aside from that, there are no 'musts' to writing. However, if it seems that many writers of 'How-To' books are stressing one particular point, try to find out why that is. And if you decide to go against the advice of many books, be sure to think of why you are going against it. If you have a good reason, go for it. If you don't, then find a reason :D. And don't be afraid to take the halfway point.

Yes, I often push the "common wisdom" when I'm reviewing, because breaking the rules should be purposeful and with an understanding of the reason behind the rules.

Generally when I raose a point like that, it's because the piece just doesn't seem to be working (for me) the way they wrote it.

Just a thought I had later.

When it comes to "rules" about the writing process, I try not to think of them as "right/wrong". I classify them as "works for me/doesn't work for me."

i'd advise you to ignore the books, now that you've read them and just go ahead and start writing... don't do anything they say, just write... imo, the only books one needs to read in order to learn how to write good novels are the best novels every written...

read and study the best ones of the genre you want to write, so you can 'absorb' the ways the finest writers throughout history have awed us with their work... then, when you start writing your own, you'll be able to tell if what you're writing works well, or not, by comparison...

love and hugs, maia

Thanks friends, this helped build up my confidence a bit, I was worried my style was wrong and I was unsure if I could write any other way.

I will freely admit I don't know much about writing, just that I have to, and always have. This is the first time I actually put the effort in to harness that dream and try despite some of my challenges, The Dyslexia makes spelling a monster at times and I invert a word on occasion, and it has always made me run away from the dream. But I just refuse to run anymore.

I am hoping to overcome this, I have spent time reading this site and found it not only full on great information but great people. The more it seems I learn the more I realize how much I didn't know, so I am in hopes that you can forgive me as I ask and absorb.

Despite what I don't know, I plod on with the novel as I have hopes for the story and will work on the grammer and style bricks later once I have the ruff draft. It relaxes me to write, it a very comfortable thing to do getting lost in something and letting the world slip by a few hours a day.


So I will be lurking, I will try not to ask too much and listen with respect with what is offered. My hat is off to you though, I see how you help people despite where they are in learning process.

thanks again, Dave..