MS Creative Writing
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MS Creative Writing Course Outline
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20 Rules for Writing
(Cynthia Lord's compilation of writing rules (Author of Rules published 2006; Awarded the 2007 Newbery Honor Medal)
Source: http://www.cynthialord.com/pdf/author_writing_rules.pdf
Source: http://www.cynthialord.com/pdf/author_writing_rules.pdf
1. Make believe should make sense--give your magic rules.
2. A bumpy road keeps you awake (have conflict and obstacles in the plot).
3. Write your first draft full-out, and then toss it away. It gives you a chance to get to know the characters, setting, and story without worrying about making everything just right. Your second first draft will be better for it.
4. Read your story out loud to yourself, and you'll hear what rings true.
5. Write what you like to read.
6. You learn to write by writing. You learn to write better by revising.
7. Before you start writing, get to know your character. Find out what he wants most in the world and what he's willing to do to get it, what he's most afraid of and how he acts under pressure. When a character has to face the thing he's most afraid of in order to get the thing he wants most, you've got a story.
8. Exploring a detour isn't the same as being lost.
9. Break some rules! Write poetry.
10. Let the characters and story surprise you. When you surprise yourself as you write, you'll surprise your readers as they read and they'll thank you for it.
11. Go deep. Be honest. Enjoy yourself!
12. Let it be bad. In other words, today the writing can be bad. In fact, let's just say it is bad--awful in fact. Trite, corny, ditch-digging writing. But I'm going to show up and write the words anyway, and tomorrow, I'll make those words better.
13. Don't be afraid to start a story, but don't be afraid to finish it, either. Whatever is keeping you from getting to the end--fear, boredom, confusion--push through it. You never really know what a story is about until you reach the end.
14. Fiction may come from the author's imagination, but it's often more truthful than real life. When writing, ask yourself, "Is it true yet?"
15. Don't save your favorite sentences. Use up your ideas for wonderful characters and stirring plots and guess what? More will roll in and fill up your mind again.
16. Make sure to name your characters so that none of the characters start with the same letter. Having a "Marko" and "Mihailo" can confuse readers. And don't name a character Fred. You'll find yourself writing "Fred said" all too often!
17. Believe it or not, revising is FUN! It's like you have the bare bones of the story and then you get to dress it up in a funky outfit with wonderful accessories and to-die-for shoes!
18. If you want to get the story right, it's never too late, no matter how much you've written, to take another look with clearer eyes and start all over again. This is a good Rule for Real Life, too!
19. Rule 1: READ. Then repeat frequently. Nothing teaches you more about creating plot, writing dialogue, and creating dynamic characters than the act of reading.
20. Writing "what you know" (as writing teachers will often tell you) doesn't mean writing everyday stuff. It means writing what you know to be emotionally true.
2. A bumpy road keeps you awake (have conflict and obstacles in the plot).
3. Write your first draft full-out, and then toss it away. It gives you a chance to get to know the characters, setting, and story without worrying about making everything just right. Your second first draft will be better for it.
4. Read your story out loud to yourself, and you'll hear what rings true.
5. Write what you like to read.
6. You learn to write by writing. You learn to write better by revising.
7. Before you start writing, get to know your character. Find out what he wants most in the world and what he's willing to do to get it, what he's most afraid of and how he acts under pressure. When a character has to face the thing he's most afraid of in order to get the thing he wants most, you've got a story.
8. Exploring a detour isn't the same as being lost.
9. Break some rules! Write poetry.
10. Let the characters and story surprise you. When you surprise yourself as you write, you'll surprise your readers as they read and they'll thank you for it.
11. Go deep. Be honest. Enjoy yourself!
12. Let it be bad. In other words, today the writing can be bad. In fact, let's just say it is bad--awful in fact. Trite, corny, ditch-digging writing. But I'm going to show up and write the words anyway, and tomorrow, I'll make those words better.
13. Don't be afraid to start a story, but don't be afraid to finish it, either. Whatever is keeping you from getting to the end--fear, boredom, confusion--push through it. You never really know what a story is about until you reach the end.
14. Fiction may come from the author's imagination, but it's often more truthful than real life. When writing, ask yourself, "Is it true yet?"
15. Don't save your favorite sentences. Use up your ideas for wonderful characters and stirring plots and guess what? More will roll in and fill up your mind again.
16. Make sure to name your characters so that none of the characters start with the same letter. Having a "Marko" and "Mihailo" can confuse readers. And don't name a character Fred. You'll find yourself writing "Fred said" all too often!
17. Believe it or not, revising is FUN! It's like you have the bare bones of the story and then you get to dress it up in a funky outfit with wonderful accessories and to-die-for shoes!
18. If you want to get the story right, it's never too late, no matter how much you've written, to take another look with clearer eyes and start all over again. This is a good Rule for Real Life, too!
19. Rule 1: READ. Then repeat frequently. Nothing teaches you more about creating plot, writing dialogue, and creating dynamic characters than the act of reading.
20. Writing "what you know" (as writing teachers will often tell you) doesn't mean writing everyday stuff. It means writing what you know to be emotionally true.