the craft. what are the rules?
I remember opening up The Final Revival of Opal & Nev by Dawnie Walton a few years back. Originally, my book was set to publish through Simon & Schuster’s imprint 37 Ink. They dissolved for a minute before my book release so I was absorbed into S&S but Dawnie’s book was released before mine. In support of an imprint mate at the time, I grabbed the book. When I opened it and it had this structure of a documentary, I thought to myself, who knew this was possible?
I think Daisy Jones & the Six had already been out but I wouldn’t come back around to that until later when working on another manuscript. In either case, reading The Final Revival of Opal & Nev opened my eyes to the fact that you could literally shake things up in your approach to novel writing.
I’m a very linear writer. Some writers work on various parts of their story and then piece it all together. I’m very much a “write it” from start to finish and then go back to fill in any gaps. So, my idea of novel writing was very succinct and maybe a bit vanilla. My thought was that there is a certain structure to how you write books. But I’ve learned that your book can be anything you want it to be, within reason, of course. Like it still has to be a story with a plot and characters, right? But how you put that all together, well there are many possibilities.
Most recently, I was reading My Government Means to Kill Me by Rasheed Newson. It’s the coming-of-age story of a young, gay Black teenager from the Midwest who embarks on leaving his family and their money and finding his own way in New York City. Set in the 80s, it’s a historical novel that places the main character “Trey” in a pivotal time in the gay rights movement that included the fight against the AIDS epidemic. One of the coolest things about this novel were the footnotes. While a fictional story, there were very real historical figures included and we got footnotes about various slogans, political figures, etc., throughout the book. Creative. I hadn’t seen that before in a novel.
In a current work in progress, I am telling the story of a recluse soul singer and musician who has been on a hiatus from music for the last 10 years. And there was one point in the project where I wanted to flash back. I wanted to take the reader back to a moment in his career when he met the love interest. I was wondering, can I do this? Can I just randomly set a chapter in the past? The answer was yes, of course. Other people have done it. But it was another moment when I was reminded that I get to make the rules for my stories.
Listen, there are all kinds of rules on writing and structure that we hear all the time. I’ve literally found myself asking, “can I do this?” when writing often. Three-act structure. Character arcs. I mean, grammar rules are plenty. But even at times, those are meant to be broken. Think about writers like Zora Neale Hurston who wrote Their Eyes Were Watching God in southern Black dialect. Sometimes grammar doesn’t even apply.
It’s easy to forget at times that writing is a form of creative expression. When have you known creativity to be bogged down by rules? I mean it's almost a direct contradiction to what it means to be creative in the first place.
I remember in the days when I was writing music, one of my mentors mentioned to me that he thought my rhythms were interesting because he was a classically trained pianist. I have little to no formal music training so it was all vibes. My dad is a talented singer. And I took guitar lessons for a stint there, but most of what I know about music comes from listening to a bunch of it growing up. The mere fact that I didn’t know the rules early on, helped me think outside of the box when it came to melody and rhythm.
Ultimately, I think both things work together. My mentor and I were a good team because he knew the rules and I didn’t. So at this stage in life, I tend to think that knowing the rules helps, but with the understanding that creativity is all about breaking them. Whether it’s writing music or writing books, don’t let the rules box you into what is possible.
We’re always looking for new ways to present the same information. To do that, we have to learn to think beyond the rules created for us and lean into storytelling in new ways.
WRITING EXERCISE
Try writing a short piece in a format other than a linear story. Think telling a story through a text message or through letters. Maybe through post-it notes on a mirror. How can you include plot, character, and a story arc through such an abbreviated medium?
Writing/Job Opportunities
The Mairuth Sarsfield Mentorship for Underrepresented Writers is designed to help an aspiring writer or playwright working in English who is Indigenous, Black, or a person of color to develop their literary writing. $800 honorarium. (Deadline Oct. 16)
The Kenyon Review is accepting submissions for their Developmental Editing Fellowship for Emerging Writers. Designed to nurture and develop new voices in fiction, nonfiction, and poetry. (Deadline Nov. 1)
538 is seeking a meticulous and efficient Senior Copy Editor to edit articles and facilitate the flow of copy through the newsroom. ($86-118k).
The Columbia Journal is accepting submissions in fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and translation from October 9th through October 23rd. The first-place winners of the Winter Contest will be published in print in Columbia Journal Issue 62 in Spring 2024 and will receive a $400 cash prize. At least two additional finalists will be selected and announced for each genre.
The University of Southern California is looking for Full-Time, Teaching-Track Faculty Positions in Writing.
The Home team is seeking an assistant editor who will help manage the team, guide The Times's digital report and use our digital platforms to build stronger relationships with readers. ($130-150k).
Nickelodeon Animation is accepting submissions for their writing program. Founded in the year 2000, the Nickelodeon Writing Program is a full-time, paid, yearlong development Program for television comedy writers with unique voices and from underrepresented communities. (Nov. 15)
P.S. Literary Agency (PSLA) is accepting applications for an Editorial Intern to assist the team for six months (November 2023 to May 2024). Candidates should want to gain experience at an agency, have a flexible schedule, be able to devote approximately 15 flexible hours a week, and be comfortable working remotely.
To Be Read
She Didn’t Even Have an Agent. Her Debut Is a National Book Award Finalist.
Indie Publishers With Extensive BIPOC and Queer Catalogs
What You Should Be Reading This Fall According to Indie Booksellers
Additional Resources
If you have a book, class, or article you’d like us to share with the group, email us the info at hello@permissiontowrite.com. We can also share in the wider community newsletter’s “Amplified” section if applicable.