WRITING COL

In 1947, Fantasy Press released Of Worlds Beyond: The Science of Science Fiction. This was a short collection of essays by various Science Fiction authors. Robert Heinlein was one of those authors, and he concluded his guide with a list of business habits, explaining that they were: “a group of practical, tested rules, which, if followed meticulously, will prove rewarding to any writer.” and became known throughout the writing community as Heinlein’s Rules.

Heinlein’s Rules

You must write.
You must finish what you start.
You must refrain from rewriting except to editorial order.
You must put it on the market.
You must keep it on the market until sold.

Many writers overlook their simplicity, but consider the fact that Robert Heinlein wrote 32 novels and over 50 short stories - perhaps there is something in his method.

Do the rules actually work?

Certainly for some, they do. In 1981, Dean Wesley Smith was getting nowhere with his dream of becoming and was on the cusp of giving up. Then he chanced upon the book mentioned above and discovered Heinlein’s Rules. Having nothing to lose, he decided to follow them to the letter. He went from being unable to sell anything to becoming a multiple-times New York Times bestseller. He currently has over 200 novels to his name and is in demand as a ghost writer because he writes fast and delivers on deadlines. He attributes all of this to a combination of Heinlein’s Rules and Writing in the Dark.

Writing in the Dark.

Some refer to this as “pantsing” ie “writing by the seat of your pants” and the theory behind it is rather simple: if you plan ahead, the result will be predictable. But if you write without a plan, then the plot develops naturally from the actions of the characters. Remember that plot is just mechanics; it’s how things change. Story is how your main character responds to that plot.

But it’s impossible to produce a clean first draft.

That’s where cycling comes in. This is a method used by many bestselling authors because it is quick, effective and doesn’t dilute the author’s voice the way that redrafting does.

Cycling is writing small chunks of 500 words or so, then going back to clarify meaning, add detail, depth and fix typos. With that section complete, you move on to the next 500 words. If you hit a point where something needs foreshadowing, go back, drop in the detail, then continue, but don’t be tempted to rewrite. By the time you reach the end, you’ll have a clean first draft with your own, distinct voice completed in a fraction of the time.

Keeping your work on the market

Accept that you are creating something original. You are not imitating others just to climb aboard the bandwagon: your voice is unique and clear and undamaged by revision. And while it won’t suit everyone, there is an audience out there; you just have to allow your script the time to find them. Many, many major works were rejected multiple times. Send it out and keep it out. In the meantime, get back in the chair and work on the next novel.

Testing the system

I’ve never managed to follow Heinlein’s Rules myself. I think it’s time to try. I have a very basic idea for a Fantasy novel, but not much of a plan. Tomorrow, I’m going to see if Writing in the Dark, coupled with Heinlein’s Rules actually works.

I’ll post updates along the way.