23 Elmore Leonard Quotes for You to Enjoy

Elmore Leonard

American Novelist

Born: Oct 11, 1925

Died: Aug 20, 2013

Book Good Me People Writing You

Related authors: Elie Wiesel Ernest Hemingway H. P. Lovecraft James Baldwin John Updike Leo Rosten Nathaniel Hawthorne Richard Bach

I try to leave out the parts readers skip. Elmore Leonard

Try Out Readers Parts Leave Skip

I would say just start writing. You've got to write every day. Copy someone that you like if you think that perhaps could become your sound, too. I did that with Hemingway, and I thought I was writing just like Hemingway. Then all of a sudden it occurred to me - he didn't have a sense of humor. I don't know anything he's written that's funny. Elmore Leonard

Funny Day Me You Sense Of Humor Every Day Writing Humor Thought Become Sense Every Think Too Say Would Someone Could Write He Written Like Perhaps Know Got Sound Occurred Did Just Anything Then Your Sudden Hemingway Start Copy

Sometimes female characters start out as the wife or girlfriend, but then I realize, 'No, she's the book,' and she becomes a main character. I surrender the book to her. Elmore Leonard

Character Surrender Book Sometimes Wife Out Characters Girlfriend Main Main Character She Female Becomes Female Characters Realize Then Her Start

I got halfway through 'The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.' I don't get it at all. What's the big thrill? It's boring. Elmore Leonard

Girl Big Boring Thrill Through Halfway Got Get Tattoo Dragon

When I get an idea for a book, something appeals to me, it's usually a character. I'll see a picture of a female marshal in front of the courthouse in Miami and she's got a shotgun on her hip and it goes up on an angle. And she's good-looking. And I say, 'I've got to use her.' Elmore Leonard

Character Me Book Picture Say Marshal See Angle Something Idea Good-Looking She Female Courthouse Got Hip Up Miami Get Goes Front Shotgun Use Appeals Her

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. Elmore Leonard

The bad guys are the fun guys. The only people I have trouble with are the so-called normal types. Their language isn't very colorful, and they don't talk with any certain sound. Elmore Leonard

People Language Trouble Types Bad Bad Guys Guys Only Colorful Talk Sound Normal Very Any So-Called Certain Fun

When you are developing your style, you avoid weaknesses. I am not good at describing things, so I stay away from it. And if anyone is going to describe anything at all, it's going to be from the point of view of the character, because then I can use his voice, and his attitude will be revealed in the way he describes what he sees. Elmore Leonard

Attitude Good Character You Will Style Way Weaknesses Stay Sees Voice Point Point Of View He Developing Because Revealed Am His Going Anyone Anything Then View Use Your Avoid Describe Describing Away Things

There are some people who have been reading me for years, and they keep saying kind things about the writing. That's what you're writing for, to get people to respond to it. Elmore Leonard

Saying Me You People Writing Some People Reading Respond Kind Some About Been Years Get Who Keep Things

I'm not aware of a cadence when writing, but I hear it after. I write in longhand, and that helps. You're closer to it, and you have to cross things out. You put a line through it, but it's still there. You might need it. When you erase a line on a computer, it's gone forever. Elmore Leonard

When people ask me about my dialogue, I say, 'Don't you hear people talking?' That's all I do. I hear a certain type of individual, I decide this is what he should be, whatever it is, and then I hear him. Well, I don't hear anybody that I can't make talk. Elmore Leonard

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. Elmore Leonard

You Book Weather Ways More Exceptions Never Open Than Snow Reporting Want Happen Ice Who Barry Describe

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

Books Mystery Never Know Reader Going Want

I never know what I'm going to write next. If I'm still writing the book but I'm very near the end, and I begin to think of what I'd like to do next, then I'll know that what I'm writing is in hand. I'll think of an ending and it will be fine. Elmore Leonard

Book Writing Ending Will Think Fine Write Never Like Know Still Hand End Very Begin Going Then Next Near

I have fun writing. I don't make it a chore. I don't have to struggle with it. Elmore Leonard

Struggle Have Fun Writing Make Fun Chore

I'm not going to write for posterity. I'm going to write to make a buck. Elmore Leonard

Posterity Write Buck Make Going

My characters have to talk, or they're out. They audition in early scenes. If they can't talk, they're given less to do, or thrown out. Elmore Leonard

Out Characters Given Scenes Thrown Talk Audition Less Early

I think any writer is a fool if he doesn't do it for money. There needs to be some kind of incentive in addition to the project. It all goes together. It's fun to sit there and think of characters and get them into action, then be paid for it. Elmore Leonard

There are 500 million people on Facebook, but what are they saying to each other? Not much. Elmore Leonard

Saying Facebook People Other Much Each Million Million People

I can write anywhere. But I don't use a computer, and I could never write on a laptop. I hate the sound of computers; it's too dull, like it's not doing anything for you. Elmore Leonard

You Hate Too Could Computer Write Never Computers Like Sound Doing Dull Anything Anywhere Use Laptop

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