I certainly have seen new writers - or writers in general - told they shouldn't do this or that because it will doom them to failure. I don't think there's any rule that can't be broken for good reason, other than perhaps to keep the reader's interest. However, too much 'experimentation' without the craft/skill to back it up typically shows up among new writers, but they shouldn't be afraid to try, once they've been at it for a while. Gotta learn to walk before you can run.
I'd say comma splice, yes, horrible, no. Wikipedia (admittedly not a definitive source) says that Strunk & White notes that splices are sometimes acceptable when the clauses are short and alike in form, such as: The gate swung apart, the bridge fell, the portcullis was drawn up. The famous sentence I came, I saw, I conquered falls into the same category. I'd say that the Rumer Godden sentence To Lucas, Angela was not a big or little gun, she was the gun, she ran the committee, she ran the Gardens. arguably fits this category, though there are two forms, and two phrases fitting each form.
It depends on what you're reading. There are obviously exceptions in published fiction to the basic rules of syntax, spelling and grammar, but once you've discarded the relative handful of examples usually cited by the advocates of non-standard usage, you're left with the vast, vast majority of fictional works which adhere to the rules of standard usage. Play the odds - follow the rules if you want to be published and/or read.
@Mckk : it sounds hilarous for some reason, I should really pay a look at the book lol @thirdwind : I was wondering, since you mentioned a book about Saramago, were you reading it in paper or pdf? Since the man is Portuguese, it occurred to me that you were reading a translation of some sort, and the translator didn't follow the writing conventions. But probably a better translation does.
I don't value experimentation for new writers, as in ones who haven't written a full story, as a particularly good thing. You can subvert rules, but trying to completely break free should be keep once you actually are aware of what you're doing. Seen too many writers who forget to put a plot-line in their story, and stay only with a premise. I suppose it's the old saying: "Any idea can be inserted into a story, that doesn't mean that you should."
Yes, I was reading a translation, but that has nothing to do with it. That's just Saramago's writing style. Also, the translator who translates his work is very reputable.
Yes, that was what I suspected when I read the above. No one is going to translate that way unless they're trying to preserve the format, flow, style etc. of the original.
Nope. Saramago's like that. He's an interesting writer but I haven't looked much into his stories as I found Blindness, though an interesting read, totally depressing. I preferred the movie which ended on a more hopeful note - plus it had the fabulous Julianne Moore. I don't mind a thought provoking read but sometimes it reminds me of Ian McEwan & Cormac McCarthy, seeped in esoteric meaning but depressing. Rules - yes. 'Rules' - no. Part of what's going to get you accepted is not just your story, but how you tell it - your voice. And part of voice is learning and knowing and being brave enough to take a chance and break a 'rule' correctly. Remember there will be millions that will be tossed into the slush pile because of bad grammar but their will be thousands with good grammar to consider, you'll have to stand out beyond good grammar. It's like the Olympics. I remember watching the year Oksana Baiul won the gold for figure skating. She flubbed twice and still won the gold. Nancy Kerrigan came out and skated flawless and in fact played up to the judges with the right music and the gorgeous skating outfit. What went wrong? Nancy's passion was in making the right moves - winning. Oksana's passion was in feeling the music - performing.
