Nobody knows anything...still

Almost forty years ago, William Goldman wrote:

Nobody knows anything... Not one person in the entire motion picture field knows for a certainty what's going to work. Every time out it's a guess and, if you're lucky, an educated one.

It still applies.

Everyone has advice—something that has likely worked for someone. I have plenty of opinions, and I share them here and with my students.

But for everything someone tells you, there's likely an opposing viewpoint. And for the person that explains it, it is equally valid.

Because there are no rules, you can try anything and everything. It's the beauty of storytelling.

But...

You may need to learn some rules to make a living off your writing.

Most audiences have expectations. Something that rhymes with something else—or else is completely counter to it.

Therefore you may have to understand that particular thing and work on it.

Of course, I might not know anything, so good luck.