I ve met countless people learning to become better writers who get discouraged by the number of rules they must learn. At my writing seminar I tell people to forget about rules. Wonder what my high school composition teacher would say about that one. What I mean is, you have to learn the rules, then forget them.
Golf is a good analogy.
You have to learn grip, stance, and ball position. You need to take the club back slowly, not past parallel. Shift your weight, follow through, don t move your head, and on and on Try to play golf while being conscious of every rule you ve learned and you will play miserably, I promise. Bobby Jones said that when he s playing well, he has one swing thought. When he s playing great, he has none.