Elmore Leonard's Rules

Published: Jan. 16, 2022, 6:43 p.m.

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The one where CC and I chat about Elmore Leonard\'s "10 Rules for Good Writing:"

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1. Never open a book with weather.
\\n2. Avoid prologues.
\\n3. Never use a verb other than "said" to carry dialogue.
\\n4. Never use an adverb to modify the verb "said"\\u2026he admonished gravely.
\\n5. Keep your exclamation points under control. You are allowed no more than two or three per 100,000 words of prose.
\\n6. Never use the words "suddenly" or "all hell broke loose."
\\n7. Use regional dialect, patois, sparingly.
\\n8. Avoid detailed descriptions of characters.
\\n9. Don\'t go into great detail describing places and things.
\\n10. Try to leave out the part that readers tend to skip.

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My most important rule is one that sums up the 10: If it sounds like writing, I rewrite it.
\\n(src:
https://www.writingclasses.com/toolbox/tips-masters/elmore-leonard-10-rules-for-good-writing)

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Also:
\\nFood ingredients
\\nContinuous Glucose Monitor
\\n"The Old Man and the Sea"
\\nGeorge R.R. Martin and Stephen King
\\nShang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings

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You can find all of our good stuff at https://carsonhume.com

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Here you go! Let us know what you think. TIA! LYL!

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