: Is "How to" killing creative writing? There is nothing particularity creative about following a set of instructions on how to write a novel. It is perhaps even less 'creative' to base styles

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I am one of those who avoided reading such guides and books for the longest time but I have since come around to seeing them for what they are: guidelines, notes, and think-abouts. However they do not beat the creative work of writing.

In my personal experience as a writer, I stumbled and failed on a number of simple things. I learned through experience a number of things I could have avoided by reading them. Some of my stories and products may have been more polished quicker or simple been better had I read them. As a starter, limiting yourself does help with getting work done: you don't run across a forest before you can walk on the road, I was told long ago.

To answer your question: NO it does not kill creative writing, they help you get started, and many of them will help you get published.

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"How to", rules and guidelines do not kill anything.

Think of rules as paths in the countryside. You can get off the path and forge your own way through the field, but it's harder and you may not get to the destination you intended (which can make you feel anxious and fearful). If you are very knowledgeable of the area (including its paths), it's more likely you can get off the path and not only get to your destination, but also enjoy the journey.

Having said that, I'll mention the Nobel prize winner Saramago. He wrote a novel that is studied in Portuguese schools and where he subverts the rules of punctuation for a genious effect. I remember some of us claimed to follow his 'rules' and our teacher telling us you can only ignore the rules once you fully understand them. And we did have to follow them if we wanted our work marked.

Our teacher also gave us writing assignments with (sometimes) crazy limitations. Those limitations forced us to think outside the box and come up with creative stories.

But back to the question: there are two types of rules (or 'how to').

The first refers to grammar and language in general. If you know these rules truly well, then you also know when they can be bent or broken. And you know exactly why and for what effect.

The second refers to putting a narrative together. The same applies: if you truly know how the 'grammar' of narrative works, you know when not to follow it.

To have freedom to do whatever a writer desires may feel like space for 100% creativity, but it is probably not. What really makes one come up with creative ideas are problems and limitations.

And since there's a bit of ranting in your question, I'll allow my own ranting: historical fiction. Oh, a writer must have freedom to tweak around historical facts in order to produce a good story. The way I see it, a writer that resorts to that excuse is lacking in the creativity to work with the facts and find a way to produce a good story.

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