About the List of Universal Truths
Many years ago, my husband and I started a family list of universal truths, or rules to live by. The first rule–if you roll a full house in Yahtzee, take it–came from my late father-in-law. Ignore the wisdom of these truths at your peril.
Why post this list of universal truths? First, several writers subscribe to my newsletter. Second, when I tell people I’m writing a book, it’s mind-boggling how many people reply that they’ve always wanted to write one too.
I intend for this post to be everlasting, with yearly updates unless I run out of additions. While the truths are not hierarchical, I chose to number them for easy reference and usage.
Why my list is Wicked Good
I could say the list is wicked good because it’s full of universally acknowledged (at least somewhere) deep wisdom. But, since this is a page devoted to truth, I must admit my list is Wicked Good because I like using the word wicked. It comes from my days living in Europe. (Since I developed many friendships with Ladies from the UK, and my children went to school with an entire cohort of British children, I consider it a natural evolution instead of appropriation.)
Also, universal truths should not be trifled with, deserve deep reverence, and are above being placed into some clickbait listicle.
My Wicked Good List of Universal Truths
- Fiction’s a whole different beast than other writing, with unique requirements and temperament. Deep experience with other writing forms, like technical writing, may inhibit good fiction writing.
- Conflict and change are the lifeblood of stories.
- Plot is the structure of the story. Plotting alone doesn’t produce a satisfying story.
- Readers of commercial genres have specific expectations. Fail to meet them, and you risk a flood of negative reviews sinking your work.
- Pantsing (writing by the seat of your pants) and plotting exist on a continuum. All good works contain both.
- No shade to Stephen King, but there’s no one-size-fits-all in writing. Every writer finds their own groove.
- Research and learning are crucial, but without writing, they’re just procrastination
- Great stories are sculpted in editing; drafts are never perfect. Writers who claim otherwise are like aging actors who swear their smooth skin didn’t come from a doctor’s office.
- Drafting’s not the time for perfection—those pretty sentences and scenes might not make the cut anyway! (Need this tattooed on my hand).
- Finding good editors or critique partners is much like dating. It’s hard to find a good fit, but when you do, magic happens.
- Each significant character should have a crucial role tied to the plot–challenging and uncovering the protagonist’s true nature.
- If you need a worksheet to recall your characters, and you’re not writing a George R R Martin epic, somebody’s gotta go.
- Events or hardships are not necessarily plot points.
- Story events should form a cohesive causal chain.
If you have any comments or universal truths of your own you’d like added to the list, please contact me via email..
Cheers!