Bill

“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

“She had a teddy bear in her arms and murder in her eyes.”
― Jordan Harper, She Rides Shotgun

“He had a gun in every room of the house. They were like good friends who were always down to do bad things.”
― S.A. Cosby, Blacktop Wasteland

“In Greek tragedy, they fall from great heights. In noir, they fall from the curb.”
― Dennis Lehane