What Hemingway Said

Everyone always wants to know 'the rules' of good writing. I am not big on rules, but here's my response to the rule question:
I am not a huge Ernest Hemingway fan. But the fact remains that the guy sure could write. So I am inclined to pay attention to anything he might have said about writing. In that spirit, I share the four rules of style he ascribed to:

Use short sentences
Use short first paragraphs
Use vigorous English
Be positive, never negative

I think if you are going to follow any rules about writing, these are good ones.
I feel the same about a number of other writers, including Stephen King. I am not a horror afficionado, per se, but the guy can write, and he sure can sell books. So it behooves us to listen to what he says about writing, too. In fact, his book On Writing is one I highly recommend to my writing students. And in that book, his # 1 rule is:

Read A Lot, Write A Lot

I have to say, if I were to have rules about writing, this would be my #1 rule as well. It's the way I learned to write. It will serve you well to read everything you can, especially in your genre, but read classics and living writers who are reviewed in the New York Times Book Review. Also read recipes and cereal boxes. Read advertisements and instructions. Just read everything, and you will get a pretty good idea of how to write. That's the best 'rule' I know. And don't forget the 'Write A Lot' part, either. More on that later. Have fun!