RIP: ELMORE LEONARD

[dexfarkin]

Elmore Leonard passed away today at 87 from a stroke, in the midst of writing his 46th novel. Leonard never got quite the critical stature that his deserved, as his novels were ghetto-ized to the 'crime' genre, but his impact is tremendous. His style; terse, fast, unrelenting, became the blueprint adopted by the modern noir and for the dialogue of script writers like Black and Tarentino. In a very real sense, the cliched patter of the 80s buddy cop film was diluted Leonard, which gave way to a truer adaption in the sprawling, off-topic and brutal narratives of the 90s and beyond. If you've never read him, you'll find his work instantly familiar and recognizable, from his legions of fans, influenced writers and poor imitators.

Elmore Leonard's Ten Rules of Writing

1. Never open a book with weather.
2. Avoid prologues.
3. Never use a verb other than "said" to carry dialogue.
4. Never use an adverb to modify the verb "said”…he admonished gravely.
5. Keep your exclamation points under control. You are allowed no more than two or three per 100,000 words of prose.
6. Never use the words "suddenly" or "all hell broke loose."
7. Use regional dialect, patois, sparingly.
8. Avoid detailed descriptions of characters.
9. Don't go into great detail describing places and things.
10. Try to leave out the part that readers tend to skip.

My most important rule is one that sums up the 10.

If it sounds like writing, I rewrite it.”
― Elmore Leonard