Tag Archives: Rules

Rule Three: If it feels wrong, fix it

Rule 3

I write what I know and what I’m good at.  A look at my collegiate and personal studies, books read, movies and shows watched and video games played, it would come to no surprise that my writings usually have a military theme.  Don’t expect horror or romance novels with my name on them anytime soon.  I think most writers are the same: they write what they know and are good at.

Recently, while planning ahead for a project, I had to admit that the big bad guy organization was not working.  It was too clunky.  I had put a lot of work into it, so  I wanted it to work as it was, but it didn’t.  I started working out an alternative, and throw out all I had done before.

Now I’ve have problems with stories I’ve written.  I’ve wondered if I could rewrite this scene, reword that response.  That’s normal, a part of every writer’s concern over his or her work.  This is more about that gut feeling that something about your story is just wrong.

When you write what you know, you feel comfortable with it.  So those strong feelings that something is wrong shouldn’t get ignored.  Some of your readers will also have experience with your genre, and they’ll probably notice it too.  So pay attention, and when necessary, be prepared to roll up your sleeves and get back to work.

Write on! 🙂