Poor Murphy. Whatever can go wrong, will go
wrong. You know you're having a Murphy day when
things go from bad to worse to terrible.
What you may not know is that there are Murphy's
Love Laws (If he isn't taken, there's a reason),
Murphy's Military Laws (The only thing more
accurate than incoming enemy fire is incoming
friendly fire), Murphy's Laws of Sex (If it's
not dirty, you're not doing it right),
Murphy's Laws for Surviving in the Great
Outdoors (Know what to do if you see wild
boars, or else) and more.
Well, now there are Murphy's Laws for Writers.
But these are not from that other Murphy, they
are from me. Here are the first 10. Try them out
to avoid common pitfalls and improve your craft. More in a future
newsletter. Enjoy!
Murphy's Laws for Writers (Part 1)
1. |
Read! The more you write, the better you will write. The more
you read, the better you will write. |
2. |
Writing is a craft as well as an art. If you rely only on
your natural gifts without working hard, you will never be more
than good. |
3. |
If you do not allow yourself to write badly, you will never
write well. |
4. |
Study the masters. Study with a master. |
5. |
If you ask for criticism on your writing, don't be upset or
defensive if it is critical. |
6. |
If you write only to express yourself, you will bore others
immediately and yourself eventually. If you write to discover
and understand, you have a chance of being interesting to
someone who doesn't know or love you. |
7. |
Inspiration, like acne, goes away when you reach adulthood. |
8. |
Learn the rules before you break them. Not after! |
9. |
Like Voodoo and the Occult, Writer's Block is only true if
you believe in it. If you don't, it ain't. |
10. |
If you don't know what to write, keep writing. |
|
Read the rest of Murphy's Laws for Writers. |
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© Murphy Writing of Stockton University ●
May be reprinted for instructional use.