Elmore Leonard Quotes - Page 3

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

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

Skip the boring parts.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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

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.