As an author, have you ever had "rules" shoved down your throat? Rules such as: Don't use dialogue tags, only beats. Avoid passive verbs. Don't use "weasel" words. Avoid adverbs. You're not alone. Authors are often confronted with the "rules" of writing, many times by those who push them as never/don't restrictions instead of minimize/limit guidelines. Listening to all of those voices can leave you feeling chained. Unnecessarily.

As time passes, more chains are added by yet more "rules," given by legalistic, though often well-meaning, people. There IS a common sense approach to the "rules," and it strips away the chains. It's time to break free.