Russell Still's Home Page

I haven't won a Pulitzer Prize, but like everyone else, I have my rules.

Russell's Top Ten Rules for Writers

(10) Unless your name is Ernest Hemingway, avoid run-on and excessively long sentences.

(9) Unless your name is Ernest Gann, avoid fancy words. Not only do you risk confusing the reader and possibly misusing the word, you will also look like you're trying to impress someone. It will immediately identify you as an amateur. Be yourself and use words that you use. But take every opportunity to expand your vocabulary so that you have a variety of words from which to choose.

(8) Never, ever misuse the following words: its, it's, whose, who's, your, you're, there, their, or they're. They won't be considered trivial mistakes by a reader. And if you misuse affect, effect, accept, except, insure, ensure, hole, or whole you will look like an illiterate.

(7) Unless your name is Colin Powell, Jennifer Anniston, or Beck Weathers, don't write stories about yourself. It may be unfortunate, it may be unfair, but the truth is, no one cares but you.

(6) Fiction requires the reader to suspend disbelief. Make his/her job easy. Don't require your reader to force their disbelief into submission. Avoid concepts that cry out, "This couldn't happen!" Nonfiction requires that the reader trusts you. Get your facts straight. Be accurate.

(5) Give characters traits that make them easy to identify. Nothing is more irritating to a reader than having to page back to figure out who the heck William Helmsley is.

(4) Some publishers and editors may disagree, but I firmly believe a good writer can successfully take liberties with the rules of grammar. If it works, do it. But don't make yourself look stupid in the process.

(3) Dialogue is not monologue. Avoid long speeches when one character is speaking to another.

(2) Paint a picture with your words. Describe the surroundings. Give the reader a background for the action to appear against. But don't overdo it with too much fine detail, go easy on the adjectives, and use the active voice.

(1) Whether you are a doctor, lawyer (ahem), engineer, teacher, historian, or scientist, think of yourself first as a writer. Anyone can be an expert - be something more than that. Don't spoil your great story by getting bogged down in the technical minutiae.