We lost one of the best crime novelists
of his generation today. Elmore Leonard
passed away at age 87. He left behind 45
novels, a number of movies, and one TV series airing now based on his last book
Raylan. The obituaries are rolling in. Most mention his short, terse writing style.
What I loved most was his ability to let
characters explain themselves, form themselves and show themselves almost
completely through dialogue. Leonard
never spent four lines describing how a woman looked. He let the reactions of her counterparts do
it for him, so she formed in your mind.
He left behind ten rules for writing. He broke some of them. He noted great writers who broke some. He knew they were his
rules for his writing, which was its own distinct style. It wasn’t everyone’s
style. It was and is good advice.
I’m going to go read Out of Sight again and enjoy this great writer once more.
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