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Friday, August 10, 2012

Leonard

It may be time to revisit Elmore Leonard's rules.

3 comments:

  1. (1) I don't see that most of these have much direct application to the kind of writing this blog is mostly about; (2) 8-10, especially, smack of sneering, supposedly manly, "cut-to-the-action" reverse snobbery. I have absolutely nothing against Leonard's novels, but some writers might have other aims, and some readers might value them.

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  2. It was a slow day, I guess. No academic writer will follow these rules, but wouldn't it be interesting to formulate a set of rules for oneself? A good writer learns from modes of writing different from the ones sh/e practices.

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  3. Yes - that's a productive way of looking at such lists. I'm pretty sure my own rules would end up being closer to aspirations than realized practices, but making those explicit might well be useful.

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