This article, from Writer’s Digest, originally appeared on that site on 9/5/08.
At the Maui Writers Conference, bestselling thriller writer Steve Berry says there are eight key rules that all writers must know and follow:
1. There are no rules. You can do anything you want as long as it works.
2. Don’t bore the reader. You can bore the reader in a sentence, in a paragraph, by misusing words, poorly choosing words, using the wrong length, etc.
3. Don’t confuse the reader. Don’t misuse point of view. Don’t do too much at once.
4. Don’t get caught writing. Don’t let you, the author, enter the story. (E.g., “And he never would see Memphis again.” How would anyone other than the author know that the character would never see Memphis again?)
5. Shorter is always better. Write tight. It makes you use the best words in the right way.
Read the rest of the article, which includes 3 more tips from Steve Berry and numerous links to other related articles, on Writer’s Digest.