10 Writing Rules I’ve Learned That No One Tells You (And 5 I Made Up on the Spot)

AI generated image about a writer frustrated with writing rules including starting sentence with Q and crying at least once while writing

When I was a kid, I read this gripping book about four men who accidentally land on an island. At first, they struggle to survive, but then they start enjoying their new life, discovering hidden secrets, and blah blah blah — it was the kind of book that made my tiny brain think, Wow, maybe I could be a writer!

Fueled by this revelation, my teenage writer self did five imaginary pull-ups, gathered an unreasonable amount of confidence, and proceeded to write what I was sure was a brilliant, extraordinary, best-selling, thought-provoking ( ___, ____, ___insert more flattering adjectives here) short story. I was convinced Hollywood would turn it into an Oscar-winning masterpiece.

Well… turns out, my literary genius was not as obvious to my conservative Indian father, who, after considerable effort, managed to say, “Good try! Maybe next time you can write even better.” (Translation: Beta, this is nonsense.)

But I was a teenager, and you know how teenagers view their parents’ advice — complete garbage. So, instead of taking the feedback like a rational human, I thought, This world does not deserve my magnificent writing. I shall never grace its unworthy pages again!