Writer's Fallout Shelter

Story/plot wise, you can do whatever you want, so long as it makes sense. You have to support your ideas, not simply throw them out and expect people to swallow them. Same goes for characters. If you want a character's personality and behaviour to rapidly change throughout the story, flip-flopping from one mood to another, you'd best have a mighty fine reason for it. Your world is your world; do with it as you please, but give some form of explanation or your readers will be lost, confused and more than a little disappointed in the story.

Format/style wise is where we hit problems. What are the rules? What are the guidelines? Truth is, no one can lay it out for you in black and white. Having said that, I would most certainly agree that there are rules for format. You cannot do what you want when it comes to format. Wait. You should not do what you want. You can, of course, it is just unadvisable. Why? Because certain formats are better than others at conveying thoughts, emotions, ideas, and words. Put every single word on its own line and see how well a reader enjoys that. Don't use quotations and never identify a character when he/she/it speaks and see how long you keep your readers' interestest.

The point is, just as there is a 'best' way to apply paint to a canvas, there is a 'best' way to put words on a page. Whether or not you like that is irrelevant. It is what is most pleasing to the eye and brain, keeps the reader's attention the best, does not break the spell a good story should cast, and flows easily from one event to the next. The choice as to whether or not you follow that format is entirely yours. It is, after all, 'your' story. But the question becomes, "Are you writing the story for you and you alone? Or do you intend others to not only read it, but to enjoy it, to think about it, to talk about it, to be inspired by it."

Clunky formats and alien styles put a wall between you the author and the reader. Once that wall goes up, it is nigh impossible to pull back down. Which, in plain English, means you might never get that reader back again. So do what you want, but be prepared for the consequences. Whether or not you think how you write should be enjoyed by the population at large is beside the point. Your story may be the best one ever devised, but it is the manner in which it is written that will define whether or not it is a 'good' story to others.

"There are three rules for writing a novel. Unfortunately, no one knows what they are."

- W. Somerset Maugham

Invalid Item  This item number is not valid. #1090903 by Not Available.