Unfortunately, no one knows what they are. Writing, I think, is not apart from living. Writing is a kind of double living. The writer experiences everything twice. Once in reality and once in the mirror which waits always before or behind.
Writing has laws of perspective, of light and shade just as painting does, or music.
If you are born knowing them, fine. If not, learn them. Then rearrange the rules to suit yourself. Fiction has to make sense. Vision is the art of seeing things invisible.