I received this note from an author recently:
I've heard that unless you're traditionally publishing, all kinds of rules are being broken these days - and frankly readers don't notice or care. Do I really need to follow any rules while writing?
As a book editor, I don't care about rules. As a reader, I don’t care about them either. I only care about the reading experience. If something works and you're breaking the rules, fine with me. But I often receive manuscripts from new writers who don’t really understand the “rules” and want to write the book they want to write no matter what, forgetting that sometimes rules are there for a reason…and you need to understand what they are and, more importantly, why it doesn’t serve your manuscript to follow them before you start breaking them willy nilly.
This happens most often with perspective. Have you heard the term “head-hopping” before? This is the official definition: a writing technique that involves switching between multiple character perspectives within a single scene, without a chapter or line break.
Now, I don’t mind head-hopping. There are plenty of authors who play with perspective in amazing ways and even break the official “head-hopping” rule. It can and does work. But the problem for me is when head-hopping is used because a new writer doesn’t have the skills to convey the information they want to convey in any other way. It feels less of a choice and more as something they’re using for convenience. Convenient for them, not for their readers.
Every choice you make and every rule you break shouldn’t only be because it is “easier” for you. It needs to serve the reader and the reading experience. And often, choosing the harder path for you as the author makes for a better story.
I’m always here for questions!
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I always say you can do whatever you want. But if your goal is to optimize “the reader experience,” you’ve got to at least know and understand the rules. If you get those down, you’ve are much more likely to have the skill to subvert them for the reader’s benefit!
This is such an important thing to remember. And I'll admit, I put several books down for breaking this rule. That's why I analyze how to convey with body language and tone and word choice when they speak to convey what's in their head (or at least imply). Great read!