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I’ve been working on a project that needs me to talk about the craft of fiction writing.

Reading through all the rules made me wonder if 4 years of writing have given me enough craft to carry me through.

Do I know enough?

The answer: It depends on what draft I’m at.

If I’m doing the 1st draft I forget the rules and write from my gut. In subsequent drafts, I worry about the rules.

More and more, I find I’ve learned some rules enough to break them to good effect. I have a long way to go, though, and I don’t think it will ever be enough for me. I’ll always be stuck with new things to learn.

What about you? Where do you stand on the writing craft? Do you feel confident about your craft–like you’ve learned enough?

Damyanti Biswas

Damyanti Biswas is the author of You Beneath Your Skin and numerous short stories that have been published in magazines and anthologies in the US, the UK, and Asia. She has been shortlisted for Best Small Fictions and Bath Novel Awards and is co-editor of the Forge Literary Magazine. Her literary crime thriller series, the Blue Mumbai, is represented by Lucienne Diver from The Knight Agency. Both The Blue Bar and The Blue Monsoon were published in 2023.

I appreciate comments, and I always visit back. If you're having trouble commenting, let me know via the contact form, or tweet me up @damyantig !

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