Book Review: WRITING WITHOUT RULES by Jeff Somers

It has to be said, I’m fairly picky when it comes to “craft” books–and I’m not talking about books on witchcraft, or swordcraft. I mean books about writing. I’ve read a few of the popular ones, and I tend to favor how-to books by writers rather than ones by academics, or people who have lots of opinions that someone was willing to publish. Of course, you can learn from anyone who has attempted to write. But as a writer aspiring to be published and make some money from his words, I prefer my tips and advice to come from those who are a little (or a lot) further down the road from me. Jeff Somers is such a person.

Jeff has published 9 (probably more if you’re reading this ten years from now) novels and numerous short stories. He has also worked as a freelance writer, and continues to supply articles about books and writing for people like Writer’s Digest, Barnes & Noble, and ThoughtCo.com. So when it comes to writing and publishing, Jeff knows his beans. Jeff also has what we call in the industry, a “sense of humor.” One might call his humor “quirky,” “odd,” or “certifiable.” Maybe even “funny.” However you want to label it, it’s my kind of humor, which, for the purposes of this review, is very important. Because it’s one of the reasons why I loved this book.

I’ll go even further. This is one of the best books on writing you, as a fellow aspiring published author, will want to own, read, and study. Up to this point, I’ve told people the Must-Read book on writing is Stephen King’s classic, ON WRITING. King is still worthwhile and ought to be read. But I’m now adding WRITING WITHOUT RULES to that recommendation. Here’s why.

First, Jeff’s purpose, as the title suggests, is to question all the traditional wisdom about writing you might ever have heard or read. Everything from “write what you know” to “plot your novel” to “watch your word count” to “never be without pants” is up for grabs. Jeff encourages you to have confidence in your ability as a writer, and don’t be afraid to write what you love, and fail, and make mistakes, but keep writing. Drawing from his own experience, he talks about how he got into freelance writing, and how it can be both soul-sucking and rewarding. He discusses procedure, what you need to be a writer, where to write, how much to write–and gives answers you might only otherwise hear whispered in the corridors at writing conferences.

In short, WRITING WITHOUT RULES is just that: writing on your own terms. Writing in a way that makes sense to you. This book is Jeff’s weapon to free writers from the tyranny of the many “thou shalts” and “thou shalt nots” you hear all the time from people in the publishing industry. Without downplaying the fact that writing is hard work, he makes the point that writing is also very easy. The tools are readily (even freely) available and if you have the chops, the work is bliss and the rewards are a-plenty (though not necessarily in monetary terms).

Why might one favor this book over Stephen King’s? First, Jeff’s book is newer, so his tips about navigating the publishing industry are more relevant. And second, while Jeff is a successful author, he’s not in Stephen King’s league of success. Few writers are. Jeff speaks from a crowd of published authors, not from a mountaintop shared by a select few. This makes his goals and aspirations a bit more attainable. When Stephen King says, “You too can be successful,” we look at him and say, “Suuuuuure!” When Jeff says, “With a bit of work and a good whiskey, you can be successful too!” we say, “Hmm… okay.” Also, while King’s book has humor, and is an entertaining read, Jeff’s book is laugh-out-loud funny. If you like that sort of thing.

There is a caveat to this glowing review: Jeff’s unstated working assumption is that you’re actually good at writing. Not to say Mr. Somers hasn’t had his share of doubt and discouragement, but frequently he will acknowledge his ability to write and fall back on that knowledge when rejections mount and the nay-sayers say nay. For myself, this confidence has been hard-won. I’ve needed to see affirmations of my ability from numerous places before I became convinced myself. Now I think I’m at a place where I can embrace Jeff’s attitude. But I won my confidence through writing a lot, and putting my work out in the marketplace where others can judge it, whether freelance work, or short story submissions, or posting fiction online. You can only be told so often “yes, you can write” before you have to start believing it. And WRITING WITHOUT RULES gives you permission to do just that. To write a lot, and put your writing out in the world where you can gain confidence that you have what it takes to be a professional, published writer.

Finally, one more point Jeff’s book has over King’s (at least IMO–and this is my review, so my opinion matters, at least here): no bad language. No naughty words. Totally PG-13. Even maybe PG. It’s like Jeff Somers put on a tie and went to church. Which supports my claim you don’t have to cuss to be funny and relevant. But that’s another sermon. 🙂

I highly recommend WRITING WITHOUT RULES, especially if you’re looking for a writing craft book. And ESPECIALLY if the other craft books leave you feeling depressed, discouraged, and exhausted (I hear swordcraft is quite labor intensive). This is a breath of fresh air. A very easy 5 GoodReads stars.

Here’s an interview with Jeff to give you a taste of what to expect: