The Rules of Writing - Really?

We did a group blog on Saturday and it was interesting to read the posts and the comments. What I realized was how many points we’d all be told, or followed over the years. You know - the rules of writing.

The blog was on the importance of first pages – the hook. Generally a reader will pick up a book because of the cover. Then they read the blurb. If those two things peak their interest they’ll read the first page or pages. If that grabs them they’ll buy the book.

The common points were you need to know your reader and what will grab their interest. Do they want to be grabbed and pulled into the story with an inciting incident? Or are they looking to learn more about the setting, the atmosphere, perhaps an occupation or the culture of the time the book is set.

The next point was that you may grab the reader with an exciting start, or style but you need to continue with the promise you created in the first pages throughout the story. Don’t start out with a bang and turn into a bust by chapter four or five. You need to have hooks throughout the book. I usually try to have at least one at the end of each chapter.

And many of us had received the same general information – write the book to then end. When it’s finished go back and write the beginning. As you write the book you become more familiar with your characters and the plot, so you can write it from a more informed POV after you’ve written the whole book.
Have you any favorites on writing a great book to share?

Next time I’ll share a little more on the old stand-bys’ – you know – like Nora’s quote – you can’t edit a blank page.