25 Rules of Creative Writing

1.  Place yourself in the background.

2.  Write in a way that comes naturally to you.

3.  Work from a design that will satisfy your purposes.

4.  Write with NOUNS and VERBS.

5.  Revise and re-write often.

6.  Do not over write.

7.  Do not over state.

8.  Avoid the use of limiting modifiers, or qualifiers.

9.  Do not affect a breezy manner.

10.  Use spelling and diction appropriate to the setting and characters.

11.  Do not explain too much.

12.  Do not construct unusual adverbs.

13.  Make sure the reader knows who is speaking.

14.  Avoid FANCY words.

15.  Do not use dialect . . . unless your ear is good.

16.  Be clear.

17.  Do not inject opinions.

18.  Let your characters inject opinions you find necessary.

19.  Use figures of speech sparingly.

20.  Do not take short cuts at the cost of clarity.

21.  Avoid foreign languages.

22.  Prefer the standard to the offbeat.

23.  Research your story before writing it.

24.  Make the story believable.

25.  Know the characters before you write the story.