Elsewhere in this newsletter you'll find a reprint of Elmore Leonard's essay "Easy on the Hooptedoodle" from the NY Times Writers on Writing series. When I first read this, I found myself nodding at many of his words of wisdom, especially his thoughts on adverb usage. I've become an adverb slasher lately, realizing that they tend to be signs of weak writing. The reader should understand how something is being done from the context of the other words you used. In dialog attributes, adverbs should be avoided unless you wish to portray something unexpected: Angry, threatening words that are delivered in a calm, steady voice. Even so, there are other ways to handle cases like this without using adverbs.
While reading Leonard's essay, you should keep in mind one thing - he is describing his own style. The essay contains some excellent advice, but is not a set of rules to be followed blindly. I'm dubious of his advice to shun describing characters, to let the reader conjure up an image of the characters based on their actions. I like at least a few pointers to get me going. I don't necessarily want a complete physical description, but I would like to know whether they are tall or short, fat or thin, blond or bald.
There are countless books available to help writers. Whatever your genre, you are liable to find a "How to write a (mystery, romance, science fiction…) novel." There are even more books that just plain offer to teach you how to write, or how to write better. Each one, undoubtedly, has many good bits, some advice that we might not have thought about previously. I've never read one yet that hasn't taught me something important.
As we each become more skilled at our craft, though, we will learn when it is okay to break the rules. Your ear and your eye will tell you when something works and when it doesn't. Writing rules are excellent for beginners and good guidelines for professionals. The only way to develop a voice, though, is to write. Write, write, write and write some more. Write even when you can't think of anything to write about.
Reread what you've written with the "rules" in the back of your mind. Learn by reading the work of others - especially in your genre or field - and explore how they achieve certain things. Every time I read a Graham Joyce novel (British fantasist), I learn something new. I appreciate how minimalist he can be at times, understanding that you don't need an entire conversation when one or two lines of dialog will convey the essence of the exchange.
We each will discover our own voices and sets of rules. We don't all want to write exactly like Elmore Leonard, successful and lucrative as that might be. Knowing the rules sets us on the right path, but don't treat them as the only formula that works. Develop your own rules, the ones that work for you.
And, every now and then, break those rules, too.