Some rules are good

We all want to be rebels. And we all want to create something that looks like nothing that has been done before.

So, we sometimes break the rules. Never mind uppercase letters or punctuation. Dive into stream of consciousness with no regard for line breaks. Make up a language that has never existed before.

Do whatever makes your story feel right.

But remember something essential: most rules were invented for a reason.

Rules help people follow your story.

Placing your pronouns close to the word they replace clarifies what you're talking about. Quotation marks make it clear when someone is speaking. Respecting gender helps us figure out what character is taking action. And so much more…

Break all the rules you want as you're writing. When you're revising, however, consider which rules you should keep so your story is understood.