The Rules of Fiction

[loreleetate]

As seen on my blog: http://loreleetate.blogspot.com

In this edition of the Lorelee Tate show, not only will I be making my usual stupid jokes, but I shall also attempt in an unprecedented feat to explain something of the rules of fiction. Because yes, fiction has rules. We're still talking about the English language, folks. You'll never escape. Muahaha.

Now, I know that all of you probably harbor long-standing grudges with your childhood English teachers for subtracting all those points off of your writing assignments for comma splices and fragments and run-ons and whatnot. Think of it as that nasty-tasting cough medicine that was supposed to taste like cherries but actually tasted something more like mouthwash mixed with rubbing alcohol: it may suck (pardon my French) when you're taking it, but it makes everything a whole lot better in the long run.

But grammar rules are not the point here. Sure, you can end a sentence with a preposition and the world will not end. But there are other things to keep in mind as well.

I'll use this as an example: don't switch points of view. Pretty basic concept, really, and it has a good reason for its existence. When you switch points of view, it becomes more difficult for the reader to follow the writing. If you start off in Billy Bob's point of view, and then suddenly switch to Sally Sue's, somebody's not going to follow somewhere at some point in time.

But here's where it gets fun.

Are you ready?

Yes?

Okay.

Brace yourselves.










Rules in fiction are meant to be broken.

With discretion, that is.









I'll give you a moment to recover from the shock.




Better now? Okay, then.

I'll confess something to you. I've switched points of view before in my writing. And do you know what else? I'm not the first. Want to know why? Good, because I'm going to tell you anyway. Because rules aren't as clean-cut in fiction. Think of them more as guidelines than actual rules, and yourself as the literary equivalent to Jack Sparrow.

In fiction, writers break rules right and left. The key is that there has to be a reason for it. If you're switching points of view just because you want to make sure that your reader is paying attention, that probably won't cut it. But if you're switching between the protagonist and the antagonist in order to develop the relationship between the two characters, that will probably work.

The thing about writing is that it's not a science, so there are very few absolutes, if not none. Writing is an art, and art is extremely subjective. I will confess something to you: I despise TWILIGHT and everything related to vampires, particularly when they sparkle. But that's just my opinion. Obviously there are people out there who disagree with me and find Edward Cullen to be the epitome of masculinity and heroism. And you know what else? That's fine. It's art. It's subjective. I can sit here at my desk and write about how you shouldn't switch points of view or use dialogue tags other than "said" or "asked" or that you can only have a certain number of adverbs per page, but that doesn't mean I'm right. If you are just burning to use the word "pontificated," I can't stop you. And the world won't end. Amazing concept, I know.

Now, that's not to say that there are no suggestions that shouldn't be taken seriously. There are always going to be ways to improve your writing and sometimes it takes another opinion in order to be able to realize that. But the rules can still be broken.

Here's what I say about rules in fiction: know them before you break them.