The Rockville 8 are pleased as punch to host the fabulously wonderful Terri Osburn with her straight up take on what matters on this writing journey of ours. Sing it, sister!
No Rules Just Write
I have a writer friend who is involved with a class for
newbie writers, and every time she talks about the group, I remember when I was
a newbie. I remember how excited I was, full of the desire to learn but
overwhelmed by how much I didn’t know. And I remember taking every snippet of
advice as gospel, sometimes to my own detriment.
We all hear about the rules for writing. First off, there
are no rules for writing. Well, other than don’t bore your reader, but
otherwise, anything goes. And yet, rules are still bandied about.
So here are my rules for writing, which I like to call the
anti-rules. And surprise, there’s only one rule.
Don’t get hung up on
the stuff that doesn’t matter.
It really is that simple. Writing is storytelling. It isn’t
prose and plot and dialogue tags and marketing plans. It’s storytelling. That means all you have to do is tell the story that
you see in your mind. The one that keeps you up at night, makes you smile and
gets your heart racing.
That is where you start, and that is all that matters. If
you want to get published, some of these other things will come into play. But
not until later. Much later. You’re on page 42. You have awesome characters
living in your head and they have a story to tell. Your job is to put the story
on the page. That’s it. That’s all you have to do.
But, you say, they keep telling me…blah blah blah. First
off, who is this they? Point them out and I will kick them in the keyboard. Who
are they to say anything? To tell you
or me or anyone what to do?
Did you know some writers don’t create a new paragraph every
time the speaking character changes? That’s right, my friends. There are rebels
out there who will start a paragraph with character A’s line of dialogue, and
then put character B’s line IN THE SAME PARAGRAPH. And you know what, they got
published doing that.
Seriously. I’ve seen it.
Did you know there are books where the writer CHOSE not to
use capitalization in all the traditional ways? And again, that book got
published. Yes, I’ve seen it with my own reader eyes.
The point is, all that matters is the story. Granted, you
have to tell a damn good story, but how you do that is up to you. It’s not up
to the editors or readers or some stinking rules.
It’s your story.
Tell it your way. If it’s a sci-fi, first person, inspirational memoir, so be
it. Put your butt in the chair, your fingers on the keyboard, and your heart
onto the page. That’s it.
You got this, my friend. Don’t let anyone tell you
differently.
Agree or disagree?
Feel free to let me have it. I can take it. J
One lucky commenter will receive an e-book of their choice from Terri's Anchor Island series! See below for links and a blurb of her upcoming release, HOME TO STAY:
HOME
TO STAY by Terri Osburn
Contemporary
Romance
ISBN:
1477818367
May
1, 2014
Blurb:
Willow Parsons’s two new
best friends are getting married, putting her squarely on the sidelines of
romance—which suits her just fine. After escaping the ultimate Mr. Wrong, she
is more than happy to spend her days slinging drinks in Dempsey’s Bar &
Grill, and her nights alone. But her Anchor Island refuge has just one catch:
muscle-bound charmer Randy Navarro.
Everyone in town knows
that Randy, owner of the local fitness club, is a giant teddy bear. Everyone,
it seems, except for Willow. He’s convinced that her avoidance is more than
just playing hard to get, and is determined to uncover the secrets that keep
her on edge. But when old fears are dragged into the light, can Randy get
Willow to stay and fight for their love…or will she take flight, leaving both
him and Anchor Island behind?
Home to Stay is a charming, romantic tale about following your heart to
find where you belong.
Buy
Links:
Kindle
> http://amzn.to/1g0U5W2
Print
> http://amzn.to/1aIBRRtWebsite > http://www.terriosburn.com
Facebook Page > https://www.facebook.com/TerriOsburnAuthor?fref=ts
Twitter > @TerriOsburn
Pinterest > http://pinterest.com/terriosburn/
Goodreads > http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6873792.Terri_Osburn
Bio:
Although
born in the Ohio Valley, Terri Osburn found her true home between the covers of
her favorite books. Classics like The
Wizard of Oz and Little Women
filled her childhood, and the genre of romance beckoned during her teen years.
While Osburn went on to gain a degree in business administration, she couldn’t
shelve her love of love stories. In 2007, she decided to put pen to paper and
write her own. Just five years later, she was named a 2012 finalist for the
Romance Writers of America® Golden Heart® Award. The author of the Anchor
Island contemporary romance series, Osburn resides in Virginia with her
daughter, an assortment of pets, and her bookshelves full of keepers. To learn
more about this author and her work, visit her website at www.terriosburn.com.
