If you have spent any amount of time around writer's groups or forums, you have come across quite a few people saying, "There are no rules!" when it comes to writing fiction. They frequently quote the "Pirates of the Caribbean" franchise: "They're more like guidelines, anyway."
While artistic flexibility is a wonderful thing, there are still rules. Of course, the ONE RULE to RULE THEM ALL is... "Do what serves the story (and your readers)."
Some things presented as concrete rules are not. They ARE more like guidelines, totally situational, often ignored, yet still important to understand. That is what this page is about.
Story Rules
If people only wrote what they know, we'd have a lot of boring books about living in the suburbs, avoiding the dishes, and playing video games or scrolling through social media.
The better rule is to know what you write. If you want to write about medieval Europe, international spies, phoenixes, or western ranches, LEARN first. Research is an essential part of the entire fiction writing experience.
Another part of "write what you know" focuses on emotion, feelings, and experiences. It makes more sense as a rule. A better way of saying this is to only tell your own story. You may know heartache, elation, sorrow, and a strong desire for a better life. Use that knowledge in your story. You may not know about overcoming racism, life in a refugee camp, or dealing with life-altering disability. Is that really your story to write? Research only goes so far and everyone deserves to tell their own story.
Cliche -- phrase, idea, or thought that is overused and lacks originality
Trope -- literary device or part that is frequently used and recognized, especially in a specific genre
Writers frequently use these words as synonyms, though they don't mean the exact same thing. Cliches are generally negative. Tropes are frequently positive when it comes to creating marketable fiction. People may talk about their least favorite tropes, but it doesn't mean they're all bad.
Examples:
Cliche sentence -- He was as quiet as a mouse. -- She wasn't like other girls!
Cliche plot point -- "It was all a dream!" -- Mary Sue characters -- The hero inexplicably comes back to life -- Character describes themselves in a mirror
Character trope -- The bad guy wears black. -- Sidekicks are teens, weaker, or bumbling.
Story trope -- The chosen one who needs a mentor. -- Happily ever after in romance. -- A symbolic ticking clock for suspense.
William Faulkner first instructed writers to "kill your darlings," and the phrase is oft-repeated by others. People misunderstand this so-called rule all the time.
Some think it means you should murder your characters frequently.
What it really means is to delete passages, paragraphs, subplots, characters, or stylistic choices that you absolutely LOVE just because you love them.
This is actually a great idea IF your darlings don't serve the story. Just because a description of moonlight in the woods is glorious word play doesn't mean it adds to your story. Kill it.
However, if you create a darling that DOES serve the story and add something essential and important, let it live. There's nothing wrong with loving what you write.
Writing Rules
This writing rule is one of the most confusing for many people. Some say that ALL writing is telling since the reader doesn't actually SEE anything like they would with a movie. Others get it confused with distancing or passive voice. Still more think it means to write really long passages full of adjectives and other descriptive language or purple prose.
Show, don't tell is really quite simple. It's about senses instead of signposts.
Write using sensory details and descriptions so the reader can experience the story with the character. Don't just tell them what's happening to someone else.
Examples:
Tell -- She was sad. ("Sad" is the signpost. It's a label you assign to the character.)
Show -- Tears ran down her cheeks. (The feeling of tears rolling down cheeks is something sensory the reader has probably experienced and can understand.)
Tell -- The winter wind in the forest made me cold. ("Cold" is another label.)
Show -- I pulled my hat on and tightened my scarf as I crunched through the dead leaves blown onto the forest floor. (Feel a tight scarf, hear the crunch of leaves, and see the leaves blowing down.)
Do you ALWAYS have to show and not tell? Nope! You should mix them up properly.
Tell in transitions, short exposition, and for time or setting skips.
Show in scenes where you want the reader to sink into your story fully.
Adverbs modify verbs (and sometimes adjectives). They tell how, where, when, and sometimes why. Many end in -LY. Others do not. No matter how they're spelled or what they modify, many people think you're not supposed to use them ever in fiction writing. Not true!
The problem with adverbs is that they become crutches to weak verbs that you could replace with stronger ones.
Bad adverb use -- He ran quickly. / They would come soon. / Joe is very tall.
Stronger words choice -- He sprinted. / They would arrive in ten minutes. / Joe towered over his teammates.
While you can usually find stronger words to use that create a more vivid experience for the reader, there's nothing wrong with usuing adverbs when they make sense.
A general rule of adverbs is to use them when they give new or unexpected information. Also, they can work to create emotionally effective structure or rhythms.
The handgun felt reassuringly heavy in her hand. (There are other ways to say this, of course, but the adverb does provide new information that demonstrates character emotion.)
He may not get high often, but the experience made him highly appreciative of the opportunity. (This repetition creates a cheeky, whimsical feeling.)
Throw this so-called rule out the window. If stories only included likeable main characters, we'd have no Scarlett O'Hara, Holden Caulfield, Joffrey, or Patrick Bateman.
Empathy (the ability to put yourself in someone else's shoes) is much more important than likeability. Readers should connect and understand main characters in some way. They can do this while hating their guts and everything they stand for. In fact, if you write a hate-worthy character, making them empathetic will make them SO much more effective.
Main character does not equal protagonist or hero. Those two terms aren't the same either. Heroes have to be likeable in some way. They are the quintessential good guys.
The most important thing to remember is to make sure you write every character to have the emotional response you want them to make.