Know the rules

While I was in college, I frequently utilized a lot of different cameras, most often, I would say, were DSLRs, particularly Canon 60Ds. Then I moved to Las Vegas to be a news videographer. The camera was different, but the rules were basically the same. Critical focus, white balance, get your levels. 

After two years of using the news camera exclusively, I came back to my little Canon. Recently a couple friends of mine hired me to film and master their podcast, so, of course, the 60D was pulled out of retirement. And immediately my footage looked like crap. 

There are some out there that won't be surprised, but I certainly was. I know I'm not amazing, but my footage never looked this bad. So... I broke down and went online to see if the camera was damaged or if I needed to change the settings. See, I hadn't messed with this camera in two years. I understood the basic rules of shot composition and lighting, but the camera itself was foreign. Once I set my pride as a photog aside and went through a couple online tutorials, my shots looked great. 

Why am I bringing this up? Well, writing is writing. And yet... it's not. Writing for my game reviews is not the same as writing for my novel. And writing a mystery is not the same as writing for horror or romance. Of course, the general rules all still apply, but it's the execution that differs, much like switching between my old news camera and my DSLR. 

Write. Write whatever you want! Go out, tell your stories! But understand that while you probably have a good handle on the generalities of writing, every genre, every purpose all have their own subtleties that set them apart. Don't be ashamed to throw yourself into your field of interest, whether you think you should know about it already or not. Your writing will be all the better if you take the time to understand the rules of your kind of writing.

​Be Excellent to each Other.