Writing Rules

What were you taught never to do as a writer? Come up with about two or three such mandates, and write some of your reflections about each one. Was this rule a good one? Are there sound reasons for it? Are there times when you can/should ignore it?

Three main rules come to mind when thinking about rules for writing: Don't start a sentence with a conjunction, don't end a sentence with a preposition, and avoid metadiscourse.

Metadiscourse is defined as writing about writing.  Throughout my education I was taught to avoid phrases and words such as "I believe" and introductions such as "first, second, third, etc."  This rule is a good rule to follow because it makes the writing more direct and to the point. With metadiscourse sometimes the ideas are submerged by fluff. Depending upon the level of professionalism required, metadiscourse can be applied if the setting is right.

Ending a sentence with a preposition is another rule that applies to writing properly.  The preposition must take an object along with an article in order to be used correctly in a sentence.  In some regions such as the southern United States, this is commonly neglected in normal speech and everyday life.  There is a level of professionalism that is followed when making the transition from speech to writing.  Writing is a more official and concrete communication tool.  Speech can be repeated quickly and more loosely without the same constraints as with written language. Although this is a good method to use in proper writing, it may be widely misused in everyday speech.
Starting a sentence with a conjunction is the final rule that goes with writing correctly. A sentence should not start with "if, and, or, but, yet, so, for, nor" because conjunctions are meant to link two clauses, phrases, or words together.  This is a main rule to follow because it gives basic sentence structure.  When looking grammatically at a sentence, it is easy to spot the subject and verb.  From there, seeing the direct or indirect object is not difficult.  Conjunctions give the basic form of the sentence, which is why this rule should always be followed.