Writing Writing rules (other than show don't tell) discussion.

[okashihime]

I am proud that my story starts with the protagonist waking up.

But your waking up is not an ordinary waking up, which again points out the "rule" is there to help people avoid a boring start.
Like others have said, rules are guidelines. Break them, it's more than fine, just be sure you're doing it intentionally and for a good reason. xD

 

[CharlesEBrown]

It's probably said because the "looking at the mirror" only works well in the visual storytelling. There's a reason why it's perfectly acceptable and effective in the visual media. Try to tell that in words and you lose the effect that the visual media is showing. I'm thinking that rule born like that: writer sees visual media do it -> writes it down -> someone reads it, cringes -> the "rule" is born.

Yep - possibly the best illustration of this come from the two Quantum Leap television series, where usually the only time you see how Ben or Sam appear to the rest of the world is when they look in the mirror.

 

[RepresentingWrath]

I am proud that my story starts with the protagonist waking up.

Normally, I am not too proud of my writing. After all, English is not my first language, and I have no formal education in writing, so, realistically, it couldn't be that good...

However, if I somehow violated some arbitrary rule that you made up, I am glad I violated it.

There are only two rules I follow. Rule of cool, and the second one is, there are no rules in writing. Go ahead and violate them!

 

[beast_regards]

But your waking up is not an ordinary waking up, which again points out the "rule" is there to help people avoid a boring start.
Like others have said, rules are guidelines. Break them, it's more than fine, just be sure you're doing it intentionally and for a good reason. xD

The problem is that the serialized web novels not only have to avoid the boring start. They have to avoid the boring first chapter, second chapter, third chapter and so on, as the readers could theoretically leave at any time, with the alternative being merely a click or two away, as there is no associate initial investment in reading them.

Traditionally published novels, however, come with the "benefit" of initial investment. The reader already paid for the novel, or at least, had to make an effort bringing it from the library, so they are more likely to continue reading even if they dislike some parts, or are bored at them, as there are no refunds or the library is the few hours driving away. Perhaps it would become better...

 

[Corty]

There are only two rules I follow. Rule of cool, and the second one is, there are no rules in writing. Go ahead and violate them!

 

[KidBuu699]

Be careful when using character sheets. So some people suggest to make characters sheets for each individual main cast character. Information can range from age, powers, likes/dislikes, and even favorite food. These sheets really help when you want to question how a character would react to a situation and to flesh out their background.

The problem with this though is sometimes an author "gets lost" in their own thoughts. They might have written something down on their character sheet and then referenced it in the story thinking that the subject has already came up in the story when it has not. Usually if the author has an editor or someone else reading the story it can be caught, but if you're on your own then its hard to separate the author sees and what the reader sees.

 

[CharlesEBrown]

Be careful when using character sheets. So some people suggest to make characters sheets for each individual main cast character. Information can range from age, powers, likes/dislikes, and even favorite food. These sheets really help when you want to question how a character would react to a situation and to flesh out their background.

The problem with this though is sometimes an author "gets lost" in their own thoughts. They might have written something down on their character sheet and then referenced it in the story thinking that the subject has already came up in the story when it has not. Usually if the author has an editor or someone else reading the story it can be caught, but if you're on your own then its hard to separate the author sees and what the reader sees.

Making "character sheets" is a very good thing if doing a LitRPG; otherwise, your best bet is an index card or note file IME.

 

[RepresentingWrath]

Be careful when using character sheets. So some people suggest to make characters sheets for each individual main cast character. Information can range from age, powers, likes/dislikes, and even favorite food. These sheets really help when you want to question how a character would react to a situation and to flesh out their background.

The problem with this though is sometimes an author "gets lost" in their own thoughts. They might have written something down on their character sheet and then referenced it in the story thinking that the subject has already came up in the story when it has not. Usually if the author has an editor or someone else reading the story it can be caught, but if you're on your own then its hard to separate the author sees and what the reader sees.

That's less of a rule and more of an advice. Good advice btw.

 

[DeepWater]

Rule 1: Have fun :)
Rule 2: Finish your story

 

[RepresentingWrath]

Rule 2: Finish your story

That's a rule I'm willing to break!

 

[Clo]

I will start with a rule I saw for the first time on SHF 3 or 4 years ago. You never start your story with protagonist waking up.

All five of my four novels in my series not only start with someone waking up, but each of my characters waking up.

I basically break that rule 80 times in a single story.

Safe to say, I don’t put much stock in that rule.

 

[laccoff_mawning]

How have we talked about not starting your story with your character waking up, but we haven't talked about not ending a story with your character waking up?

Hmmm. If you think about it, that itself seems to be an application of the more general rule of cause and effect.

So my rule I'll present is that your character's actions need to have some form of consequence on themselves later on in the story. How those consequences play out is up to the author, but they need to be present somewhere.

 

[owotrucked]

There's waking up at home, and then there's waking up naked in an asylum full of zombies and choosing violence

 

[RepresentingWrath]

There's waking up at home, and then there's waking up naked in an asylum full of zombies and choosing violence

True.

 

[Valmond]

How have we talked about not starting your story with your character waking up, but we haven't talked about not ending a story with your character waking up?

Hmmm. If you think about it, that itself seems to be an application of the more general rule of cause and effect.

So my rule I'll present is that your character's actions need to have some form of consequence on themselves later on in the story. How those consequences play out is up to the author, but they need to be present somewhere.

Arisu in Borderland. I think you’ll really like that one.

 

[DireBadger]

I think the best rule is to look at all the rules other writers offer, and then carefully decide when and how to break them to avoid the tropes that those rules are designed to dodge.

The biggest rule is to know your tropes, at least enough that when you inadvertently use one too recognizably, you can file the vin numbers off, change them slightly, maybe even throw in a little genre savvy to avoid using them too obviously. Genre blindness is almost always the biggest sin in a lot of obviously good books, so you have to recognize when you are abusing it too much.

That and some genres use otherwise really bad tropes constantly. They get away with it because they are visual media... a superhero comic book using a really overdone trope like, say 'with great power comes great responsibility' can get away with it because of the giant power flashes, girls in sexy skintight outfits, and art of falling skyscrapers while the hero has a 'sweat bead' on his forehead symbolizing his desperately torn position between stopping the bad guys and saving the civilians within.

I have read too many webnovels where the author clearly is manga, comic book, or anime inspired, where they will have a character say something like "..."

That might work in manga. (I don't read manga.) It might work in anime. (The only anime I ever cared to watch was Robotech back in the 80's and a few super popular Americanized things like Ghost in the Shell). These tropes are not based on public understanding, they are TRADITIONS that will quickly alienate any readers that are not also immersed in those standardized tropes. They are also almost entirely dependent on a highly-visual media communicating all the possible 'tells' that a viewer needs to decode the unspoken information.

'Translated' authors especially seem to fall prey to this because it seems to be a strongly cultural thing. My suggestion is to try and come up with culturally neutral ways of saying the same thing or appeal to the culture in your world-building.

I mean, yeah, you could have a muscular guy floating there that says something from dragonball Z to evoke a sense of dread in the reader of the new character's danger potential, or you could have them say something like "Like Doctor Destructo says, there's always someone stupid enough to stick their D*** in a beehive." Sure, it's crude, but it also instantly evokes a supremely confident and, therefore, likely powerful character, and the comment speaks for itself without requiring any cultural understanding as long as you have defined Doctor Destructo as one of the most powerful adversaries around in your world-building.

Of course, if you are writing Naruto fanfic, feel free to completely disregard this advice. Your audience understands you perfectly clearly.

 

[CharlesEBrown]

Rule 1: Have fun :)
Rule 2: Finish your story

Sometimes those are mutually contradictory...

I have read too many webnovels where the author clearly is manga, comic book, or anime inspired, where they will have a character say something like "..."

Best use of this that I've seen was in an old video game, Sam and Max Hit the Road. The two characters wind up at a wishing well, and Sam tosses in a coin and says, "I wish I knew what Max was thinking." and Max thinks "..." "......" "........." and then the scene is over.
But yeah, the joke really only works in a visual medium...