Break All the Rules: A Writer’s Guide

Advice, strangely enough, is never one size fits all. We’ve asked participants to share the best writing advice they never listened to. Today, Hannah Lincoln, NaNoWriMo participant, encourages you to break all the writing rules:

I think that anyone who writes—be it strictly for fun or with the intent of publishing—has felt the pressures of the notorious “writing rulebook” at least once.

Or, if you’re like me, maybe you’ve found yourself running through an imaginary (or literal) checklist of things not to include in your novel every time you sit down with your pen. Rules are made for a reason, and it’s no different when it comes to literature. But what happens when they begin to restrict your stories from reaching their greatest potential?