8 Rules Every Writer Should Live By

“We think we understand the rules when we become adults but what we really experience is a narrowing of the imagination.” — David Lynch

1. Learn how to defend your work. Great writers are courageous in the face of a hostile audience — whether they are editors or readers.

2. Write everyday. The routine and purposeful practice embeds the mechanics of good writing into your memory.

3. Read everyday. A loaded idea reservoir will enrich what you write and conquer creative block.

4. Edit ruthlessly. There is no such thing as a perfect draft. Abandon when you are sick and tired of it.

5. Ignore bad criticism. Get a mentor. Join a critique group. Identify good and bad advice. Accept one, reject the other.

6. Be eccentric. Differentiate from other writers or get swallowed up.

7. Work anywhere. Resist the temptation to look for perfect conditions to write. You’ll never find them.

8. Get physical. Build a coffee table. Run six miles. Dig a ditch. Let your mind rest. It will reward you.

Do you have any rules that writers should live by?

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About the author: Demian Farnworth is Chief Content Writer at Copyblogger Media. Want more writing advice delivered in about four minutes a day, four days a week? Subscribe to his podcast Rough Draft.