When and How to Break Writing Rules
Writers are often told to “know the rules before you break them.” It’s good advice but it can also feel like a paradox. If writing is an act of creativity, why are there rules at all? And when is it okay to push against them?
The truth is, writing rules exist for a reason. They’re rooted in centuries of storytelling tradition and reader psychology. But like any art form, the beauty of writing comes when you bend—or even break—those rules to serve your story.
Let’s explore when and how to do it well.
Why Rules Exist in the First Place
Rules in writing are like road signs. They guide you, help you avoid dead ends, and make sure your reader doesn’t get lost along the way. Common examples include:
Show, don’t tell
Avoid adverbs
Stick to one point of view per scene
Follow proper grammar and punctuation
Start in the middle of the action
These conventions make stories more engaging and easier to follow. But they’re not laws—they’re tools.
Learn the Rule Before You Break It
You can’t subvert a rule effectively unless you understand why it’s there. For example:
Show, don’t tell is meant to immerse readers in a scene—but sometimes telling is more efficient for pacing or backstory.
Avoid adverbs is about tightening your prose but a well-placed adverb can create rhythm, voice, or humor.
Before you decide to go against a rule, ask yourself:
“What purpose does this rule serve, and how will breaking it strengthen my story?”
Break Rules Intentionally
Breaking a rule should never be accidental—it’s a craft choice. You’re not ignoring grammar because you forgot it; you’re bending it to create voice, tension, or style.
Example:
In The Road by Cormac McCarthy, the lack of punctuation isn’t a mistake. It creates a stripped-down, almost breathless tone that mirrors the bleak world of the story.
Ask yourself:
Does this choice support my characters, voice, or mood?
Will my reader still be able to follow the story?
Break Rules in Service to the Reader, Not Yourself
The ultimate test: does this choice help your reader connect more deeply to the story?
If breaking a POV rule adds intimacy, or shifting tense adds urgency, it might be worth it. But if it’s simply to show you can do something different, you risk pulling the reader out of the narrative.
Readers will forgive almost anything—if they’re invested in the story.
Common Rules Writers Break (and How to Do It Well)
Show, Don’t Tell
Break it when: You need to summarize events to move the story forward quickly.
Example: “The next few weeks passed in a blur of interviews and rejection emails.”
Write in Complete Sentences
Break it when: You want to mimic thought patterns, create rhythm, or convey urgency.
Example: “No time. No air. No way out.”
Stick to One POV per Scene
Break it when: You need the emotional weight of multiple perspectives in a single moment—but use sparingly and with clear transitions.
Avoid Clichés
Break it when: You can twist the cliché into something fresh or use it for intentional humor.
Writing rules are like training wheels—they help you get steady, but at some point, you take them off. The best writers break rules not for shock value, but to deepen emotional resonance, strengthen voice, and tell the story only they can tell.
So learn the rules. Respect them. Then, when the story demands it—break them with confidence.
What’s one writing “rule” you’ve broken in your work, and why?
