What they told me never to do...

Writing is a subject I have a strong passion for; I feel it is a very basic necessity in how a society functions. While it is a favorite subject of mine, writing has never come easy for me and is something I must constantly work at to get better. Through the years and several teachers many rules were passed down as "no,nos" when it comes to good writing. Some rules have proven widely accepted, while others make me feel like the teacher invented his/her own rules. Below are a few things I was told never to do as a writer.

• Start a sentence with AND, OR, BUT
• Don't write something that doesn't have a purpose. Each sentence should convey meaning.
• Put a comma after AND when separating lists
• Don't be overly basic, add Gravy to what you are writing.
• Never spell ALOT as one word
• Turn in a paper without reading it twice and aloud
• Spell the professors name wrong
• Inserting an idea for a source that is not your own without proper citation
• Switch from 1st and 3rd person
• Alternate between past and present tense
• End a sentence with a preposition