The only writing advice you need, Anton Chekhov edition

rules for aspiring authors

While reading my way through his work, I stumbled upon one curious text: a listicle featuring writing advice from the master himself. I thought it would be fun to translate and share it with you, not for the sake of helping to learn something or adding value but just to present what Anton Pavlovich considered as rules for authors. It's humorous, satirical, harsh, direct and completely orthogonal to writing advice in our era.

Rules for Aspiring Authors was printed in 1885, the issue №12 of The Wake-up Caller¹ magazine, on page 145. The issue was dedicated to the magazine's twentieth anniversary and the Rules were presented as a gift for the readers: "It is also said, there is no group that does not split up. The jubilee is over. In conclusion – a little gift..."

Editorial day at *The Wake-up Caller*. A drawing printed in the magazine in 1885. The second man from the left is A. P. Chekhov

In 1904, in The Wake-up Caller № 27, on 18 July, Chekhov's obituary was printed. Right after the obituary, The Rules you are about to read were printed together with A Toast in Honour of Prose Writers under one heading – Chekhov's pages.

"...We present here," the obituary said, "two fine examples of Chekhov's original humour, two short articles which appeared in the pages of The Wake-up Caller some twenty years ago and touch on the life and work of a Russian writer, a title which was sacred to Chekhov."

Artist's workshop at *The Wake-up Caller*. Drawing from one of the issues printed in 1885. Nikolay Pavlovich Chekhov, Anton Pavlovich's older brother, sitting in the centre. Nikolay Chekhov painted a portrait of his brother.