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Quote by Robert B. Parker

“This is not a screenplay. I don't do twenty drafts. I'm not going to show this to you until it's published or accepted for publication. You can make whatever suggestions you want, but I probably will ignore them entirely.”

Author

Robert B. Parker

Robert B. Parker was an American crime writer known for his hard-boiled detective novels. His works are characterized by tight plots, complex characters, and unique crime scenes, with his most famous character being the private detective Spencer Herrick. more

“Here's a slightly outrageous tip: Don't respect the text. Just because you've written something down doesn't mean it has a right to exist. If your internal editor can find a better way to say something, junk the original version and go with the new one. If you can't find a better way, and the passage really isn't good, junk it.”

Ifs Way Writing Mean Written Originals Versions Internals Editors Passages Junk Outrageous Better Ways

Author:Crawford Kilian

“When my story stalls on me, I've played my hand too soon.”

Writing Stories Hands

Author:T. Jefferson Parker

“Notice how every science fiction movie or television show starts with a shot of the location where the story is about to occur. Movies that take place in outer space always start with a shot of stars and a starship. Movies that take place on another world always start with a shot of that planet. This is to let you know where you are. Novels and stories start the same way. You have to give the reader a sense of where he is and what's happening as quickly as possible. You don't want to start the story by confusing the reader.”