: Creative writing use and abuse I am wondering what is the limit, if any, of justifying one's writing style as being creative. I have often seen the use of a single word or phrase as a

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Ask advice in any domain of creativity; art, photography, writing, movies, and you'll hear the same answer:

Learn the rules of the trade, then break them.

Any rule can be violated. Grammar, logic, style, pacing, anything! But you don't just go about writing, forgetting the rules, missing or misunderstanding them. You don't just know the rules perfectly, you also understand consequences of violating them. Then you break them in such a way as to achieve your specific goal, impress a specific effect on the reader. You can achieve the effects stronger and faster than if you just used "proper tools of the trade".

Example: poor grammar is a clear sign of inexperienced writer. The rule is "Use good grammar". But the story has a protagonist who is definitely a poor writer. What better way to show that than to give the reader a sample text written in-story by the protagonist? Then, as you're writing that letter, you make grammar mistakes on purpose, strictly violating that rule - because the consequence is desired.

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Grammar "violations" are perfectly fine in fiction, as long as they create the effect you desire in the reader.

Incomplete sentences can (sometimes) pick up the pace, or make the reading choppy and staccato. When you want those effects, use incomplete sentences.

Starting a sentence with a conjunction can (sometimes) make sentences flow together in an almost hypnotic way. They can suggest that the narrator is speaking/writing/thinking informally. When you want those effects, start a sentence with a conjunction.

For me, it's the same with every rule, whether it's a rule of grammar or a so-called rule of writing. What effects does following this rule create in the reader? What effects do
"violations" create? Which effects do I want to create?

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