I've successfully taught my goldfish to run by the simple application of a hungry cat (on a leash of course). The resultant dash of gold across the porch back to its goldfish bowl is a joy to see (for me, not the cat of course).

But back to writing...

The ability to write better takes practice and (for some) peer group critique and (for some) attending writing courses and seminars to investigate writing areas that are perceived as weak or needing work. The ability to get published is another matter entirely.

Imagine:

A 'publisher' wanders down the aisles of the local 'writing talent' gallery of manuscripts. They're all ordered into neat rows according to each genre with only a few pages on show, sometimes only a cover letter or a pitch is visible. A title catches her eye here, a remarkable voice over there...

This gallery contains an infinite number of 'artworks' on show - none of them in a finished ready-to-sell package. Using her experienced eye and quick movements of her legs, the publisher propels herself on, pausing here and there to take in a piece that she thinks might have a chance of being published. The basket she's carrying only allows for a small number of choices so she has to be very careful about what projects she takes on.

At the end of the day her basket is full. She swipes her 'publishers purchase card' and heads off home to wade through the 10 manuscripts she's chosen. She might return all 10 the next day and look for better choices. She might keep one or two.

And through all of this it's her personal choice that matters most.

She couldn't care less about the training or the inexperience of the specific writer she happens to be reading. She does care that what she reads serves the story well and that it is unique/original/commercial enough to warrant publishing. She's a publisher who buys books, not authors...

I guess writing to a set of rules might kill your story, and your ability to tell the story in your own unique and original way. But some great stories are rule-makers, while others are rule-breakers. I think we should write from a place that acknowledges the rules but does so without blindly following them. Tell (and er, show) your story your way.

Mesmerize me indeed! Being hypnotized by our own amazing writing ability holds no sway over others who will read our work with fresh eyes. Knowing how to mesmerize a reader, to seduce them into loving the words and the work you are presenting them until the very last page... ah, if only I knew how to do that!