ieva melgalve

There’s a funny thing about “writing rules”. It says, “here’s a rule, don’t break it unless you are…” and inserts a name of some great author (Margaret Atwood, Neil Gaiman, Cory Doctorow or just about any other notable author there is or ever was). In my opinion, it’s bullshit.
I don’t argue that there are some “rules” that describe the thinking of a reader as it’s established at the present time. For example, right now readers prefer close 3rd or 1st person, but don’t get omnipresent; readers usually can’t stand shifts in time or voice in the middle of the scene; they usually are bored about weather description and what not.
Great writers break those rules and get through to the reader due to their talent and craft and, I guess, passion and daredevil attitude regarding (or, rather, disregarding) petty rules. Everybody except those great writers is supposed to shut up and lay down because they’re not that great. Obviously, they said the same thing to some rather awesome authors, like Daniel Handler whose Lemony Snicket books got rejected for being too dark. I think there’s a rule for that as well. Something like “ignore everybody” © Hugh MacLeod (“unless you are a loser”, © not Hugh).

Anyhow, barring angst and stuff, there’s a rational reason for taking into account what the great writers are doing and putting it to use. The reason is this: these writers have found a brilliant new way of communicating with today’s reader, and chances are that what they are doing as a novelty today will be a trend tomorrow.
So I say, if you see a writer you absolutely like, breaking the rules and reaching you in profound ways by doing so, learn from him (or her).
Figure out what the author wanted to achieve.
Figure out how the breaking of rules was executed and why it worked (exactly how Dan Simmons switched from past to present, exactly when Neil Gaiman head-hopped, exactly what Lemony Snicket says when he celebrates misery in children).
Note it as your own rule: if I want to achieve this mega-cool effect, here’s how I do it (and don’t be ashamed of stealing, all writers are thieves).
Use it. This is the thing you, as a writer, owe to your favorite authors: use your own writing to establish and expand their style, their findings, their new and brilliant rules. Do your own thing to make them immortal. And say your thanks to the authors you love, not the rules you obey.