Heinlein’s Rules of Writing: Principles for Success

March 25, 2021 by BECCA PUGLISI

I want to talk today about a topic I’ve been pondering for years. YEARS. It’s Heinlein’s Rules of Writing.

If this is new to you, it’s a framework for writing success that consists of 5 rules established by Robert A. Heinlein—aeronautical engineer and pioneering science fiction author. Writers who ascribe to his process swear by it on a Crossfit/Natural Oils level. They’re prolific, successful, and happy with their work. We’re talking authors like Dean Wesley Smith, with 150 novels and hundreds of short stories written while following the rules.

Heinlein first outlined his rules in Of Worlds Beyond: The Science of Science Fiction Writing (1947). In his contribution to the compilation, he wrote the following, largely as an afterthought to his article:

“I’m told that these articles are supposed to be some use to the reader. I have a guilty feeling that all of the above may have been more for my amusement than for your edification. Therefore I shall chuck in as a bonus a group of practical, tested rules, which, if followed meticulously, will prove rewarding to any writer.

You must write.

You must finish what you start.

You must refrain from rewriting (except to editorial demand).

You must put it on the market.

You must keep it on the market until sold. “

from Heinlein's Rules of Writing: Principles for Success - WRITERS HELPING WRITERS® by Becca Puglisi