Elmore Leonard’s 10 Rules of Writing

Elmore Leonard’s 10 Rules of Writing

Elmore Leonard’s 10 Rules of Writing offers good advice about writing fiction, although the implicit theme pertains to any writing. Essentially, don’t let your writing style distract from what you are trying to say.

My favorite tip is #10: “Try to leave out the part that readers tend to skip.”

I selected this while browsing the stacks at the library. I read it in 10 minutes and I don’t consider myself a fast reader.  The last page reveals that the text was originally published as New York Times article, which you can read online.

The publisher did everything possible to add heft. The pages are printed single-sided on card stock with lots of white space.  It looks like they are trying too hard, like a student using two-inch margins on a term paper to reach the minimum page count.

A more descriptive title for this book would be Elmore Leonard’s Rules of Writing: 10 Tips in 10 Minutes. The fancy packaging may have keepsake value if you wanted to buy this as a gift for an aspiring novelist or an Elmore Leonard fan. But if you just want to read the content, save your money and read the New York Times article.

Leonard, Elmore. Elmore Leonard’s 10 Rules of Writing. New York: William Morrow, 2007. Buy from Amazon.com

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