Home / Authors / Elmore Leonard

Elmore Leonard

Elmore Leonard Quotes

Novelist

Elmore Leonard, born on October 11, 1925, was a renowned American novelist. Known for his hard-boiled detective novels and Westerns, his distinctive style and concise writing have won him a dedicated following.

Filter quotes by topic

All Writing Ifs Want Book Thinking Reader Stories Way Character Dialogue Fun Knows People Said Sound Please Scene Skip Use Verbs

Famous Elmore Leonard Quotes

“I can't allow what we learned in English composition to disrupt the sound and rhythm of the narrative.”

Writing Narrative Prose Rules English Ignoring The Rules

Author:Elmore Leonard

“Try not to write the parts that people skip.”

People Writing Trying Skip

Author:Elmore Leonard

“I focus on characters as individuals with attitudes and write each scene from a particular character's point of view. That way, even narrative passages take on the character's sound. I don't want the reader to be aware of me, writing.”

Writing Character Individual Attitude Focus Scene Point Of View

Author:Elmore Leonard

“I try to leave out the parts readers skip.”

Writing Trying Reader Skip Writers And Writing Written Word Writer's Block Writing By Writers Great Writing Inspiration To Write Inspiring Writing Writing Words Editing And Writing

Author:Elmore Leonard

“I don't believe in writer's block or waiting for inspiration. If you're a writer, you sit down and write.”

Ifs Writing Believe Inspiration Waiting Down And Don't Believe Block Writer's Block

Author:Elmore Leonard

“Everyone has his own sound. I'm not going to presume how to tell anybody how to write.”

Author:Elmore Leonard

“I do have fun writing, and a long time ago, I told myself, 'You got to have fun at this, or it'll drive you nuts.'”

Writing Long Fun Long Time Having Fun Nuts Long Time Ago

Author:Elmore Leonard

“I have fun writing. I don't make it a chore. I don't have to struggle with it.”

Writing Fun Struggle Having Fun Chores

Author:Elmore Leonard

“I once saw Dizzy Gillespie at a live show, and it made me want to go home immediately and start writing.”

Want Writing Made Shows Home Saws Dizzy

Author:Elmore Leonard

“I used to be able to write five pages a day, every day, no problem. Now a good day is five or four pages, and that's from 9:30 A.M. until 6 P.M.”

Writing Problem Able Used Five Four Pages Used To Be No Problem Good Day

Author:Elmore Leonard

“I'm not going to write for posterity. I'm going to write to make a buck.”

Writing Posterity Bucks

Author:Elmore Leonard

“Really, when I write a book I'm the only one I have to please. That's the beauty of writing a book instead of a screenplay.”

Writing Book Please Writing A Book Screenplays

Author:Elmore Leonard

“To me, a book is a book, an electronic device is not, and love of books was the reason I started writing.”

Writing Book Reason And Love Devices Electronic Devices

Author:Elmore Leonard

“To me, writing is the most fun. It's not always fun, but finally when you make it come out the way you want, it's then you can say, 'It's fun, boy.'”

Way Want Writing Fun Boys

Author:Elmore Leonard

“A friend of mine who is in the publishing business knew I was writing a book, and he said, 'Have you said anything yet about the good guy? Because I know you spend so much time with the bad guys.' Because they're fun. So then you have to make the good guy fun, in order to compete. That's the challenge.”

Knows Writing Said Book Guy Order Fun Challenges Mines Publishing Bad Guys Writing A Book Good Guy

Author:Elmore Leonard

“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.”

Ifs Thinking Writing Ideas Interesting Scene Outlines Making Up

Author:Elmore Leonard

“I'm very much aware in the writing of dialogue, or even in the narrative too, of a rhythm. There has to be a rhythm with it … Interviewers have said, you like jazz, don’t you? Because we can hear it in your writing. And I thought that was a compliment.”

Writing Said Jazz Dialogue Rhythm Narrative Compliment Interviewers

Author:Elmore Leonard

“If it sounds like writing, I rewrite it.”

Ifs Writing Sound Inspire

Book:Elmore Leonard's 10 Rules of Writing

Source: Elmore Leonard's 10 Rules of Writing

“It's my attempt to remain invisible, not distract the reader from the story with obvious writing.”

Writing Stories Reader Obvious Invisible

Book:Elmore Leonard's 10 Rules of Writing

Source: Elmore Leonard's 10 Rules of Writing

“I started out of course with Hemingway when I learned how to write. Until I realized Hemingway doesn't have a sense of humor. He never has anything funny in his stories.”

Writing Stories Courses I Realized Sense Of Humor

Author:Elmore Leonard

“All the information you need can be given in dialogue.”

Needs Writing Given Information Dialogue Confusing Writers And Writing Writing By Writers Writing From Famous Authors

Author:Elmore Leonard

“My most important piece of advice to all you would-be writers: when you write, try to leave out all the parts readers skip.”

Writing Trying Important Would Be Pieces Advice Reader Skip

Author:Elmore Leonard

“If it sounds like writing, I rewrite it. Or, if proper usage gets in the way, it may have to go. I can't allow what we learned in English composition to disrupt the sound and rhythm of the narrative.”

Ifs Way Writing May I Can Sound Rhythm Narrative Composition Usage

Author:Elmore Leonard

“Never use an adverb to modify the verb 'said' . . . he admonished gravely. To use an adverb this way (or almost any way) is a mortal sin. The writer is now exposing himself in earnest, using a word that distracts and can interrupt the rhythm of the exchange.”

Way Writing Said Use Sin Rhythm Mortals Earnest Verbs Exposing Adverbs Mortal Sin

Author:Elmore Leonard

“At the time I begin writing a novel, the last thing I want to do is follow a plot outline. To know too much at the start takes the pleasure out of discovering what the book is about.”

Knows Want Writing Book Lasts Pleasure Novel Too Much Plot Songwriting Discovering Outlines

Author:Elmore Leonard

“My most important rule is one that sums up the 10: If it sounds like writing, I rewrite it.”

Ifs Writing Important Sound

Book:Elmore Leonard's 10 Rules of Writing

Source: Elmore Leonard's 10 Rules of Writing

“After 58 years you'd think writing would get easier. It doesn't. If you're lucky, you become harder to please. That's all right, it's still a pleasure.”

Ifs Thinking Writing Years Stills Pleasure Easier Please Lucky Harder Lucky You

Author:Elmore Leonard

“The line of dialogue belongs to the character; the verb is the writer sticking his nose in.”

Writing Character Lines Dialogue Noses Verbs

Book:Elmore Leonard's 10 Rules of Writing

Source: Elmore Leonard's 10 Rules of Writing

“Keep your exclamation points under control. You are allowed no more than two or three per 100,000 words of prose.”

Writing Two Three Prose Exclamation Exclamation Points

Author:Elmore Leonard

“I don't want the reader to be aware of me as the writer.”

Want Writing Reader

Author:Elmore Leonard

“Never use a verb other than "said" to carry dialogue... I once noticed Mary McCarthy ending a line of dialogue with "she asseverated" and had to stop reading and go to the dictionary.”

Writing Said Use Reading Lines Dialogue Mary Dictionary Verbs

Author:Elmore Leonard

“A pen connects you to the paper. It definitely matters.”

Writing Matter Paper Pens

Author:Elmore Leonard

“I don't judge in my books. I don't have to have the antagonist get shot or the protagonist win. It's just how it comes out. I'm just telling a story.”

Writing Book Stories Winning Judging Shots Protagonists Antagonist

Author:Elmore Leonard

“Using adverbs is a mortal sin.”

Writing Sin Mortals Adverbs Mortal Sin

Author:Elmore Leonard

“I've quit writing screenplay [adaptations]. It's too much work. I don't look at writing a novel as work, because I only have to please myself. I have a good time sitting here by myself, thinking up situations and characters, getting them to talk - it's so satisfying. But screenwriting's different. You might think you're writing for yourself, but there are too many other people to please.”

“These are rules I've picked up along the way to help me remain invisible when I'm writing a book, to help me show rather than tell what's taking place in the story.”

Way Writing Book Helping Stories Shows Invisible Help Me Writing A Book

Book:Elmore Leonard's 10 Rules of Writing

Source: Elmore Leonard's 10 Rules of Writing

“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.”

People Writing Years Kind Has Beens Reading

Author:Elmore Leonard

About the Author

Born: October 11, 1925
Died: August 20, 2013
Known for: Novelist
Quotes: 76

Related Topics

Writing Ifs Want Book Thinking Reader Stories Way Character Dialogue Fun Knows People Said Sound Please Scene Skip Use Verbs

Popular Topics

People Ifs Thinking Knows Men World Way Want Love Life Inspirational Needs Giving Feels Should Writing Trying Years Mind Firsts

Books & Sources

Elmore Leonard's 10 Rules of WritingRelated source material

10 Rules of WritingRelated source material

A Coyote's in the HouseRelated source material

BanditsRelated source material

Get ShortyRelated source material

Get Shorty: A NovelRelated source material

Labrava: A NovelRelated source material

Last Stand at Saber RiverRelated source material

Valdez Is Coming: A NovelRelated source material

Similar Authors

William ZinsserBrowse related quotes
Natalie GoldbergBrowse related quotes
Philip GerardBrowse related quotes
Jeffery DeaverBrowse related quotes
Paul AusterBrowse related quotes
Joyce Carol OatesBrowse related quotes
Stephen KingBrowse related quotes
Chuck WendigBrowse related quotes
Lynne TillmanBrowse related quotes
Alice MattisonBrowse related quotes