I spent years and years and years internalizing the do-this-not-that lists directed at writers looking to land a contract.

Then the truth about writing rules became clear.  So here they are, in order of importance:

Rule One: The story must connect with and entertain the reader so well, the reader will want to tell others about it.

Rule Two: Anything that interferes with the implementation of Rule One should be set aside.

That’s it.  All the rest — all those guidelines and do-this lists and don’t-do-that warnings — are not truly rules.  They are techniques and tools, and the best combination the writer uses might be different for every story.  But the truth is that a writer can do everything “right,” yet still not connect with readers.  That’s because readers don’t open a book hoping for better rule-following.  They want to be transported by a story.

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