The right way to write?

"A window is a window, but there is looking out and looking in" Margaret Atwood

The other day I decided to dig through some of my notes on revising. I've said it before. I really have no idea what I'm doing when it comes to revising. I'm still trying to figure it out. And I've collected tips, quotes from authors, editors, lists of the top eight ways to edit, articles from Writers Digest on book doctoring, Writers Boot Camp, Characterization, an interview of Margaret Atwood, and my notes from a writer's retreat -- the list goes on and on.

I looked at everything and it made me very, very depressed. Urgh. too much. Why is it so painful? I didn't want to think about the story or do anything with it, except maybe shove it under my bed: out of sight, out of mind.

But then . . .

Then I read through letter 2, from Mirth, and it all went away. I got so excited. It was fun. (Isn't that rule #1?) I loved it oh so much. And suddenly it didn't matter that I'm so bad at revising or don't know how to do it.

I have this list about what to include in the first three pages of a manuscript (like the physical description of the characters...) I was once told do not have conversations with more than two characters, but I do that all the time. So I've decided to ignore all this advise. (Maybe not all of it.)  But I'm not going to stress about it or change things just because it 'proper' or its a rule.

I'm going to stick with my gut reactions. Instinct. Intuition. There is no one right way to write a novel. Rules can be broken (rule 5, I believe).

As long as the story still works and is good enough - that's what matters.

Here is some advise I will follow:

"Learn the rules, then follow the rules, then learn when to break them."