Rules are important, it’s what makes the world go around, right? Well, the rules in writing can make writers feel suffocated. I know it is for me and writing is not as fun as it used to be due to so many rules that were thrown at me back in middle school and high school. The rules of writing have and always will continue to have a death grip on me. Even when I’m writing for fun there’s a voice in my head that makes me overthink and I start to spiral. I’m starting to slowly let myself try not to care about the rules and write how I want to write and just hope someone gets what I’m saying. Obviously, I’ll still be on topic, but it’s more so that the reader will understand my style of writing instead of sounding like an academic robot.
After reading E. Shelley Reids Ten Ways To Think About Writing: Metaphoric Musings for College Writing Students she definitely expresses the frustration of rules in writing. Reid emphasizes the importance of what you should do when it comes to writing with her three princples she provides. Write about what you know or what you WANT to know, not only talking about the topic but being descriptive about it, and adjusting your writing style accordingly to the audience but also to the purpose you’re writing for. My favorite line that Reid writes is “But if you write from those three principles, and use some of the strategies listed below, your writing will finally have a fighting chance of being real, not just rules”. For sure, I will follow her rules because it just seems easier and lighter. I feel like a huge weight just lifted off my shoulders, her rules for writing are much more calmer than what academics suggest. Reid perfectly describes the importance of what you should do when it comes to writing.
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