Reading a whole lot and being open about reading many different things and reading with an open mind is so important in understanding life. It will not only help with writing, but also help with our critiques.

I also really agree with this one. When writing for yourself, your writing becomes unique. Everyone in this world is different, so if everyone writes for themselves, we get different works and styles of literature.

I think that the process of writing is to fully understand the subject about which you are writing. Writers go through the full process of telling a story. Writers shouldn’t work with the intent of pleasing a crowd, the audience that appreciates’ a writers’ work is what determines success.

Funny enough this rule is in Stephen King’s memoir, “On Writing,” and it happens to be my favorite part. Relating to his book, this first rule came from his editor John Gould, I believe in the intention to make Stephen realize he shouldn’t apologize for his mistakes. A writers job is to write whatever he/she wants and the last thing on their mind should be is if someone will like it.

This first rule addresses my deepest fears as an aspiring writer. When I began writing for an audience I worried obsessively about how the person reading my work perceived it. Most of the time I found myself dramatically ripping up my first, second, and third drafts because I ruminated over pleasing everyone. In the process, I realized that I focused so strictly on the opinions of others that I lost my original inspiration. I’m fairly certain my desire for universal approval is the reason why I have so many unfinished projects piled in the depths of my desk.

Whether the narrator is first person or third person, limited or omniscient, the passive voice should be avoided. Using passive voice rids urgency that any narrative should use. Even if the narrative is a slow-paced story or relaxed, an active voice will move it along and create the suspense required for the reader to keep reading.

A story becomes mesmerizing to a reader when their own soul can relate to it. “Shy” writing, in my opinion, is never relatable. Through any student’s plentiful career of English classes, we become brainwashed to cut out ideas that may be inappropriate, too complex, or not grammatically correct (hello, rule #5). But, everything mentioned above is what literature is craving! It’s what makes words on a page come alive. Erasing all sense of self-consciousness, shame, and perhaps our innate timid nature is necessary in order to become a real writer.

I completely understand being perceived as timid, but in reporting I feel like a writers personality can get in between information and the reader. Op-eds have a significant place in the media. I think that sometimes news is boring by nature. Journalists are required to record and report about which they are assigned.

I am learning how to remove the unnecessary. Writing adverbs for me felt like I was sprucing up an article or story in other classes and projects, but in reality it can add ambiguity.

In regular journalism I think that reporters should always aim to write as concisely as possible.

Both the second and third rules speak to the timid writer in my opinion. In yesterday’s lecture we collectively discussed the importance of showing your audience rather than telling them. It seems that using the passive voice and adverbs are both crutches that writers, who are unsure of themselves, use. I am guilty of overusing adverbs; and I think this is because I don’t feel that I adequately conveyed my original point so I reemphasize it later on with adverbs.

I had a journalism professor say, “Don’t worry about too many association’s like ‘he or she said this or that’ because readers glaze over those words anyway.”
Obviously I’m paraphrasing, but when you are presenting 800 words of original reporting and expert quotes, I feel like readers really are glazing over those intro phrases, even if it’s an adverb like ‘quietly’ or ‘loudly.’

I like how King mentions that writers want to make the reader “forget, whenever possible, that he/she is reading a story at all.” Grammar needs to tend to the flow of the story, not vice versa. Is a run-on sentence the end-all, be-all, because it doesn’t satisfy the no run-on “rule”? Fragments? Ellipses? Not if the words are meshing together, running on a steady stream!

There are times were I literally spend an hour on a paragraph, making sure my phrases make sense, that it’s understandable and so on. It got to the point were I didn’t enjoy writing.

I seriously wished someone would have told me, “Screw grammar!” Writing in a stream of consciousness helps me exponentially. Usually your first idea is your best idea, so now I go with it. Of course, after getting down the main ideas, you can then operate on your work (grammar included).

I feel grammar is essential for writing but I also like how Stephen King expands the horizon for writers. Gives hope to newbies.

Simple but needs to be heard. As Stephen King said in his book “On Writing,” almost everyone has the ability to tell a story. It’s a matter of strengthening and sharpening your skills. He refers to it as a disjointed growth process in which ambition, desire, and a little talent plays a part.

The juxtaposition between the fifth and sixth rules, and knowing how heavily to rely on either or both of them is worrisome. When starting as a new writer most of us are dependent upon those “passive verbs or one of those nasty adverbs.” But, then we become comfortable in writing this way and end up developing a dependence on the passivity. I’m curious as to whether it is possible to break out of that reliance or do writers have to make a conscious effort to do so? Also, over time do veteran writers have no troubles with staying away from the passive voice, or do they also have to be overly aware when writing, as well?

To expand on this rule, I think it’s important to read a variety of styles and genres through different authors. Otherwise a writer may have assumed that there’s a certain way to write. For example, a writer might think that any narrative has to be filled with poetic descriptions of every single little detail of a scene every paragraph. By reading a variety of styles, writers are exposed to different tools and ideas to create their own style as this rule suggests.

Listening to your words instead of reading it in your head gives you a better sense of how others will understand your writing.

Rule #8 makes me think about many of the autobiographies I’ve read. Even though they’re nonfiction, it still relates to the rule. In a majority of them, the writer usually revealed personal information about him/herself and others. Writing isn’t meant to be prim and offenseless, and when words are conformed to satisfying consumers or a certain “type” of audience, I believe that the reader can quickly tell.

This made me laugh, but it seems important. It goes back to the rule I added. To me, when you write, you need to be focused. Having the TV around while writing is just a distraction. You don’t want something you see on TV to become part of your writing. That kills originality!

I think this is an exaggeration. Maybe it’s because I’m in Entertainment Marketing and a lot of what I do revolves around what other people are doing, but I don’ see how tuning off the world around us is part of becoming a better writer. I think turning on the TV, reading a newspaper, being in tune with the world around us through this medium is just as important as tuning into our imagination. There is a dialogue that is happening and I think being in tune with that dialogue is a great place to find inspiration for a story.

It’s extreme to “turn off the TV” indefinitely, seeing that it can be used as a tool (if used carefully) to help you form your OWN ideas. King did get a lot of his sic-fi idea’s from the movies he’s watched like “The Haunting,” and “Lady in a Cage.” With that being said there should be an extent to how much television you watch and how much of it should influence your writing.

Many people have said that to be a successful writer, they have to travel the world, constantly expose themselves to new experiences, or pull out the hard truths from the darkness in the world/their lives. Yet when asked the two secrets to success, King says it’s staying healthy and happy. This rule really resonates with me, as I am one who is more inspired to write to come to terms with the injustices in the world and hard times in my personal life.

This makes or breaks you as a writer. Today, we are bombarded with distractions. Iphones, Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, Netflix, the list goes on and on! “Eliminate distraction” is an understatement to me. It is absolutely necessary to emphasize discipline. Even writing on a laptop is difficult because the internet is one tab away!

In addition to that, different people are distracted by different things. For example, some people think listening to music while doing something (writing, homework, etc) is distracting, while others do not. Music also helps some writers. Since this is the case, why eliminate all distractions if they aid you in writing?

I totally agree, that there should be no telephone in the writing your, or an open Facebook( or whatever) tab in the web browser, however, personally, I prefer to write listening to classical music. Also, a window with some nice scenery benefits my sick imagination.

This is very important. I know I need to get a better handle on how to do this. Personally, this is so hard to do, but if done, the results are amazing.

I think this is a fantastic rule. So many publications that I once thought reputable have adapted the “Buzzfeed” list + gif style of writing their articles. It’s maddening how watered down abnd replicated “journalism” has become simply because these list-style articles generate more clicks.

Whenever I doubt my ability as a writer I reread this quote from one of my favorite authors, “We are all apprentices in a craft where no one ever becomes a master.” I used to miserably attempt to emulate the writing of the authors I favored. My works ended up a discombobulated mess of different styles inadequately thrown together. After reading this quote by Hemingway I realized there is no perfect writer. Instead of trying to copy the writers I love, I realized I needed to develop my own style and become comfortable in it. This rule resonates with me especially. “Vocabulary is not the same as feeling,” is what many amateur writers have difficulty with reconciling.

I think when King talks about digging, he means digging for the truth. Truth is at the heart of a story. In order to dig for a story, you have to dig for the truth. They go hand-in-hand. By truth, I don’t mean actual events or a written fact. I mean a greater truth, something philosophical or psychological or spiritual.

I feel like sometimes I’m in the middle of two books at the same time. Even if I’ve read one of those books already, you can still gain from reading passages as you read.

I love this rule. It is such a benefit when you take a break as a writer. Doing this can only enhance one’s writing. One most likely can return to the writing more inspired and creative than before.

Rule number 17 is one of the more interesting rules on this list because it seems like a great alternative to filing space. I find that this rule is a great way to stay focused when you become bored with some parts of your story and killing off a character is an excellent alternative. As morbid as that may seem it does change the tone of the story and it gives you something new to work with in your story.

I strongly agree with King’s when he says “the most valuable lessons of all are the ones you teach yourself.”