Writing with Style: Rules vs. Folklore

"Distinguish real grammatical rules from folklore." - Joseph M. Williams' #1 principle for writing clearly.

There's a real difference between what we learn in high school English class and what we do in real life. In high school essays, we are taught to never begin a sentence with the words "and" or "but," never use a contraction, never use the word "thing," never write using the words "we" and "you," and to always remember to not place a comma before the conjunction in a simple series.

Wait a minute. I was taught to put a comma before the conjunction. And do you know what, sometimes I like starting a sentence with a conjunction! Williams' advice never held so much truth. In fact, we're crossing into the land of re-considering what you learned in grade school to arrive at a different truth--that once you're an expert in the rules of writing, you can refine and manipulate them in order to be a successful communicator. You may have learned one rule in fifth grade and another in ninth, but it's up to you and your style guide to select the proper one based on the overall picture. If you've analyzed the context; the concept; the who, what, when, where, and why; and arrived at the conclusion that you are going to write the piece using the word "you," then go into it with confidence.