by Ellen Buikema

Sometimes taking a walk on the wild side, stepping outside the writing norms, can lead to great results. Here’s why ignoring writing rules can lead to interesting works.

First, Know the Rules Before You Break Them

The main elements are:

• Clarity and Coherence: Ideas are easy to understand and flow logically.
• Grammar and Syntax: Sentences and punctuation are used correctly.
• Structure: Have a clear introduction, body, and conclusion.
• Tone: Use a tone that your readers expect based upon the story’s purpose.

Reasons to Break Those Rules

Breaking the Norms for Effect

Breaking writing norms is best done as a deliberate choice to strengthen the power of your writing. Consider a personal narrative. Using unusual sentence structures can mirror an experience, especially for chaotic exploits.

How to Break the Rules

Very short sentences give a feeling of urgency. “I said stop!” So does using an action verb before the subject instead of the more common Subject, verb, object.  “Watch out for those buzzy, candy-filled kids!”

Think about the reason you’re writing and what you want to get across. If straying from norms serves a purpose, it’s worth trying.

Engaging and Distinctive Voice

A unique voice can make your writing shine. When you stick to the norms, your writing won’t stand out. Breaking the rules to create a distinctive style that allows your readers to relate on a personal level. For example, blog posts can benefit from a conversational, more personal tone that doesn’t strictly follow formal writing rules.

How to Break the Rules

Write as if you are having a conversation with a friend. Use colloquialisms, contractions, and a relaxed voice to make your writing feel real and keep your readers engaged.

“For years, I’ve kept my two worlds separate.

There’s Jenny, the fiction writer, lover of craft, believer in the power of story. And there’s Jen, the Storyselling Sherpa, who helps businesses articulate their difference so they can build trust and increase revenue.

I’ve never really blended the two.

But in 2023, while spending long hours in a chemo chair, wondering whether I’d get through to the other side, something became very clear: Life is too short to do work you don’t believe in.”  —  Jenny Hansen

Enhanced Emotional Impact

Now and then, breaking the rules can boost the emotional impact of your writing. You can create a sense of urgency by using unconventional formats or grammar. For instance, using sentence fragments or varied punctuation can control rhythm, understanding of the sentences, heighten emotions, and add tension more effectively than following traditional rules for writing.

How to Break the Rules

Use short, impactful sentences for suspense and a sense of urgency. Play with punctuation to create drama or rhythm. “For sale: Baby shoes. Never worn.”  —  Earnest Hemingway

Genre Shifts

Readers have different expectations, depending on the genre. For instance, a reader of romance novels expects a happy ending.

What’s considered a norm in one genre might be uncommon in another. Fantasy and science fiction genres often alter the rules with the creation of imaginative worlds and invented languages.

How to Break the Rules

As part of research, read several genre-specific stories to get a feel for what the authors composed. See if their methods/ideas are a good fit for your narrative, regardless of traditional writing rules.

J.R.R. Tolkien, who’s Elvish is my favorite invented language, is said to have developed languages for fun. This interesting article is about the topic of inventing fictional languages.

Innovative Perspectives

Rule breaking can change your paradigm, leading to new perspectives and fresh ideas. Nontraditional approaches might unlock creative problem-solving.

How to Break the Rules

Challenge existing perspectives. Experiment with different viewpoints, even if they are very different from established norms.

The Improbability of Love, by Hannah Rothschild, is told from the viewpoint of a painting.

Reader Engagement

Writing outside of the norm can make readers curious. Readers may be more interested in a story that invites them to engage in new ways, making the reading experience memorable.

How to Break the Rules

Weave interactive elements into your writing. Create a narrative that encourages readers to think and engage with the story’s content. Try interactive narratives in your story. Have alternate endings.

Here are 20 classic novels that almost had different endings.

An interesting story with many possible alternatives is Pretty Little Mistakes by Heather McElhatton, with more than 150 possible endings.

Unleash Creativity

Letting go of rigid rules allows for more creativity. For example, Naked Lunch by William S. Burroughs, with a nonlinear and disjointed narrative, reflecting the protagonist's addiction and fragmented consciousness. And Mark Z. Danielson's House of Leaves by Michael Seidlinger who’s novel is known for its unusual layout.

Varied:

• Words per page
• Text direction, sometimes sideways
• Pages filled with footnotes

 All reflecting the confusing, labyrinth-like nature of the house.

How to Break the Rules

Try experimenting with non-linear storytelling. Let thoughts and ideas flow in a stream-of-consciousness fashion even if it means ignoring standard grammar rules.

Final Thoughts

Writing norms and conventions have their place, however breaking the rules can lead to great results. Defying traditional rules can set up new and different possibilities for your writing.

Get feedback from your Beta readers on how the broken rule sounds. That can help determine if you’ve found your writing voice.

* * * * * *

About Ellen

Author, speaker, and former teacher, Ellen L. Buikema has written Parenting ... A Work in Progress, non-fiction for parents, and The Adventures of Charlie Chameleon chapter book series with stories encouraging the development of empathy—sprinkling humor wherever possible. Her Works in Progress are The Hobo Code, YA historical fiction and The Crystal Key, MG Magical Realism/ Sci-Fi, a glaze of time travel.

Find her at https://ellenbuikema.com or on Amazon.

Top Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay