What follows are my rules for writing fiction. Enjoy.
1. Ask questions, don’t give answers.
The writer observes but doesn’t judge. Show what happened while asking questions only a reader may answer.
2. Share experiences, not reportage.
Write what you imagine you know. Root fiction in known, observed, or related experiences; don’t leave it there.
3. Uses the narrator’s voice, not yours.
Use a narrative style consistent with each work. Voice builds trust, and from trust rises belief.
4. Define stories by plot, not theme.
When telling stories, theme supports plot, not the other way around. Think like a reader when constructing the narrative.
5. Seek perspective, not perfection.
Share a worldview with the reader; don’t be either popular or perfect. Limit revisions to three drafts.
6. Write alone, not with a team.
Art shares a unique vision, so the writer works alone. Limit help to post-creative jobs like editing, marketing, and publishing.
7. Serve the story, not its writer.
Self-promotion damages both a work and its author, so keep the self in the background. Promote only the writing.
8. Respect the rules of grammar, don’t serve them.
The writer must show a mastery of grammar. Use the accepted, current, and established rules of your native tongue.
9. Use constraints, not mutilations.
Literary constraints must be unseen by readers. Manipulate the rules of grammar for a purpose; don’t impair readability.
10. Respect tradition; don’t serve it.
The writer must neither be hidebound by conformity nor devoted to innovation. Learn from history; don’t repeat it.
11. Make statements, not excuses.
The writer’s work must speak for itself. Do not respond to either critics or criticism.
T.F. Pruden
Thorsby, Alberta, Canada
2026
“Do not seek perfection, which is death. Let it seek you.” ~ William Saroyan, 1908-1981