Elmore Leonard Quotes - Page 3

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• It's my attempt to remain invisible, not distract the reader from the story with obvious writing.

  Elmore Leonard

  Writing, Stories, Invisible

  Elmore Leonard (2007). “Elmore Leonard's 10 Rules of Writing”, William Morrow

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• My most important rule is one that sums up the 10: If it sounds like writing, I rewrite it.

  Elmore Leonard

  Writing, Important, Sound

  Elmore Leonard (2007). “Elmore Leonard's 10 Rules of Writing”, William Morrow

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• Skip the boring parts.

  Elmore Leonard

  Boring, Skip

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• Never open a book with weather. There are exceptions. If you happen to be Barry Lopez, who has more ways to describe ice and snow than an Eskimo, you can do all the weather reporting you want.

  Elmore Leonard

  Book, Ice And Snow, Weather

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• Don't go into great detail describing places and things, unless you're ­Margaret Atwood and can paint scenes with language. You don't want descriptions that bring the action, the flow of the story, to a standstill.

  Elmore Leonard

  Details, Stories, Want

  Elmore Leonard (2009). “Get Shorty: A Novel”, p.207, Zondervan

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• To me, a book is a book, an electronic device is not, and love of books was the reason I started writing.

  Elmore Leonard

  Book, Writing, And Love

  "Is E-Book Sales Milestone Worth Cheering?" by Mike Fleming Jr, deadline.com. July 20, 2010.

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• It's like seeing someone for the first time, and you look at each other for a few seconds, and there's this kind of recognition like you both know something. Next moment the person's gone, and it's too late to do anything about it.

  Elmore Leonard

  Romantic Love, Looks, Too Late

  "Out of Sight". Book by Elmore Leonard, 1996.

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• Really, when I write a book I'm the only one I have to please. That's the beauty of writing a book instead of a screenplay.

  Elmore Leonard

  Book, Writing, Please

  "Elmore Leonard’s Secret: 'Clean Living, and a Fast Outfield'". Interview with Jon Wiener, lareviewofbooks.org. August 20, 2013.

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• I don't judge in my books. I don't have to have the antagonist get shot or the protagonist win. It's just how it comes out. I'm just telling a story.

  Elmore Leonard

  Book, Writing, Winning

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• These are rules I've picked up along the way to help me remain invisible when I'm writing a book, to help me show rather than tell what's taking place in the story.

  Elmore Leonard

  Book, Writing, Stories

  Elmore Leonard (2009). “Elmore Leonard's 10 Rules of Writing”, Harper Collins

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• I want the reader to know what's going on. So there's never a mystery in my books.

  Elmore Leonard

  Book, Want, Mystery

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• I don't want the reader to be aware of me as the writer.

  Elmore Leonard

  Writing, Want, Reader

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• Never use an adverb to modify the verb 'said' . . . he admonished gravely. To use an adverb this way (or almost any way) is a mortal sin. The writer is now exposing himself in earnest, using a word that distracts and can interrupt the rhythm of the exchange.

  Elmore Leonard

  Writing, Verbs, Use

  "Elmore Leonard's rules for writer" by Elmore Leonard, www.theguardian.com. February 24, 2010.

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• If you take a few days to write an outline, you're just making up scenes that you think will work, that you think will be interesting. But as you write it, other ideas occur - better ideas that have to do with what you're writing.

  Elmore Leonard

  Writing, Thinking, Ideas

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• I won't read a book that starts with a description of the weather. I don't read books over 300 pages, though I'll make an exception for Don Delillo.

  Elmore Leonard

  Book, Weather, Pages

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• Never use a verb other than ‘said’ to carry dialogue.

  Elmore Leonard

  Verbs, Use, Said

  Elmore Leonard (2012). “10 Rules of Writing”, p.17, Hachette UK

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• I get letters. I get several a week, I think. A lot of people want a picture, a lot of people just want an autograph.

  Elmore Leonard

  Thinking, People, Letters

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• I don't have any of the modern stuff. I don't have e-mail. I don't have a computer!

  Elmore Leonard

  Mail, Stuff, Computer

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• I don't believe in writer's block. I don't know what that is. There are just certain little areas that I know I'm going to get through. It's just a matter of finding a way.

  Elmore Leonard

  Block, Believe, Littles

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