Slogging along on a manuscript or other piece of writing? Taking longer to finish than you expected? Exhausted trying to complete that description, paragraph, sentence, scene, dialogue, or other story element? Mr. Leonard just might have been on to something when it comes to writing.
Elmore Leonard (October 11th, 1925 – August 20th, 2013) was a novelist, short-story writer, and screenwriter. His earliest novels were westerns but he didn’t limit his work to that genre. Among his best-known works are “Get Shorty,” “Out of Sight,” “Hombre,” “Mr. Majestyk,” “Rum Punch” (adapted as the film “Jackie Brown”), and short stories that became the films “3:10 to Yuma” and “The Tall T,” as well as the FX television series, “Justified.”
Thanks for reminding me of Elmore Leonard’s range of work. I’m inspired!
That’s wise advice, Jack. 🙂 — Suzanne
Seems so! 🙂
Isn’t that great? What wit. I love that advice. Lol.
Agree, D. Wallace! 🙂
Elmore Leonard’s 10 Rules of Writing is perhaps the most succint how-to ever published. I mentioned him in a post just yesterday. He manages to hit that sweet spot of mid 70k word count. Story arc? Forget it. He wrote capers. “The Switch” is the best kidnapping caper I ever read. My favorite things is he openly admitted his characters talked to him. He was so shocked by the look on his interviewer’s face after the admission he said “What? Yours don’t?” EL was top notch, no BS. Tony HIllerman, for me, was much the same. How do you plan your books? he was asked. Plan? I sit down write the story the characters tell me.
Thanks!
Excellent, Phil. Thank you for the informative post. Elmore was so talented; and I’m happy you mentioned one of my favorite authors, Tony Hillerman. Cheers!
I love that Leonard quote. My writing has been in a bit of a slump all winter. I must revisit Elmore.
Like you, Jean, Winter has been hard on my writing desire. Can’t wait for Spring.
And Kill Shot, one of my favorites.