Douglas MacArthur said, “You are remembered for the rules you break.”

However, can we live — and write — without rules?

Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr. expressed his opinion: “The young man knows the rules, but the old man knows the exceptions.”

Aha: exceptions. To deviate from a rule, you must first learn it.

Why does this rule exist? Will I confuse readers if I ignore it? What will my editor say?

The following posts should help you find answers.

• Writing Rules: When Can You Break Them? (Rules 1-6)
• Writing Rules: When Can You Break Them? (Rules 7-10)
• Writing Rules: When Can You Break Them? (Rules 11-14)
• Writing Rules: When Can You Break Them? (Rules 15-18)
• Writing Rules: When Can You Break Them? (Rules 19-22)
• Writing Rules: When Can You Break Them? (Rules 23-26)
• Be Brave: Experimental Writing Ahead: But There Are Rules
• Exclamation Points: Plague or Pleasure? Are There Rules?
• How Important Is the Rule About Not Using Passive Voice?
• Rules, Rules, Rules. 9 Writing “Rules” Examined
• Why Effective Dialogue Often Ignores Writing “Rules”

You’ll find other posts as well, about

• using said in writing
• the assault on adverbs
• cursing in creative writing
• em dashes
• ellipses
• variations between North American and British English

… and more.

Before you go, consider Therese Anne Fowler’s Advice: “Some rules are nothing but old habits that people are afraid to change.”