Elmore's 10 Rules of Writing

Want tips on how to be a better writer?

I keep a treasure trove of inspiration on my office shelves, and one of the books is Elmore Leonard’s 10 Rules Of Writing. It’s based on a short article he wrote for the New York Times in 2001, stretched out with illustrations and generous typography. But when you can write like Leonard, a few words go a long way.

The tips are aimed at aspiring novelists, but some of them apply to business content too. Here’s a summary:

1 Never open a book with weather.

2 Avoid prologues.

3 Never use a verb other than ‘said’ to carry dialogue.

4 Never use an adverb to modify the verb ‘said’… he admonished gravely.

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

6 Never use the words ‘suddenly’ or ‘all hell broke loose’.

7 Use regional dialect, patois, sparingly.

8 Avoid detailed descriptions of characters.

9 Don't go into great detail describing places and things.

10 Try to leave out the part that readers tend to skip.

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