Rules?

So this morning I hopped onto facebook, as one is wont to do.

One of the updates was from my friend Nigel, that nice fellow behind Black Donald

Nigel posted an article that featured Neil Gaiman's 8 rules of writing, which you can find by clicking here. Alternatively, go check out Brain Pickings. So, what are these rules? Here, let me show you.

"Write"
Yeap, that is definitely the number one rule. One kind of needs to do that, whether by applying pen to paper or by means of the computer.

"Put one word after another. Find the right word, put it down."
Here I would definitely say that it's just a matter of putting down on paper what you can see in your head. If you have a strong image or scene in your mind, describe it.
"Finish what you’re writing. Whatever you have to do to finish it, finish it."
I would also suggest that you write what you are interested in. If you are writing something that doesn't capture your imagination, put it aside. But yes, finish what you write.
"Put it aside. Read it pretending you’ve never read it before. Show it to friends whose opinion you respect and who like the kind of thing that this is."
Agreed!
"Remember: when people tell you something’s wrong or doesn’t work for them, they are almost always right. When they tell you exactly what they think is wrong and how to fix it, they are almost always wrong."
That depends, if it's your editor talking take onboard what works for you.
"Fix it. Remember that, sooner or later, before it ever reaches perfection, you will have to let it go and move on and start to write the next thing. Perfection is like chasing the horizon. Keep moving."
Yeah, that is a good rule.
"Laugh at your own jokes."
No one else seems to anyway.
"The main rule of writing is that if you do it with enough assurance and confidence, you’re allowed to do whatever you like. (That may be a rule for life as well as for writing. But it’s definitely true for writing.) So write your story as it needs to be written. Write it ­honestly, and tell it as best you can. I’m not sure that there are any other rules. Not ones that matter."
This one I like the best.

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