Thursday, October 7, 2010

Heinlein's Rules


I know, you've seen them before. But it's worth repeating. Write, finish, don't dither, sell it, write something else. Okay, I'm paraphrasing. Here are Robert Heinlein's actual rules for writing:


1.) You must write.
2.) You must finish what you write.
3.) You must refrain from rewriting, except to editorial order.
4.) You must put the work on the market.
5.) You must keep the work on the market until it is sold.


I've seen writers spend years working on one thing, and what's the point of that? If it sells, great. What else you got? Nothing. If it doesn't sell, you're bitter, despondent, and not as good as you could have been had you written more, more often, and more diversely.
Write, finish, don't dither, sell it, write something else.

1 comment:

  1. Yes, yes, yes.

    I've seen people who balk at #3. They say "writing is rewriting" so #3 is wrong.

    But, as you point out, #3 is about dithering.

    Don't do it.

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