Today I bring a teacher's advice: Elmore Leonard . Highly successful American writer in his country and author of the phrase "If something sounds writing, rewrite it. "Some of his works have been fed to Hollywood.
The following rules set before you, and that the same Elmore Leonard ran an interview with an American magazine, is really revealing and I believe, can improve the style of the novel we are still in this. Although like everything in life, it is likely that you meet any of them disagree slightly.
Bon Appetit ...
1. Never begin a book talking about the weather .
If only you used to create atmosphere and is not a reaction character to the climate, you should not use it too. The reader will look for the character's reactions. There are exceptions, of course. If your name is Barry Lopez and know more ways to describe ice and snow than an Eskimo, you can talk about the weather as much as you want to.
2. Avoid prologues.
can be annoying, especially a prologue following an introduction that comes before the dedication. But in non-fiction are very common. In a novel, the prologue has the background to the story, but you do not count at the beginning, you can put them anywhere.
There are always exceptions, of course. "Sweet Thursday" John Steinbeck is prologue, but I feel good because it is a character in the book makes clear the rules that explains how he likes to tell you things.
What makes Steinbeck in "Sweet Thursday" was the owner's chapters as an indication, though somewhat obscure, as they deal with. There are two chapters that arrives on a "hooptedoodle (talk) that tells the reader:" This spectacular flight will do with my writing, and not intermixed with the story. Sáltatelos if you want. "
"Sweet Thursday" was published in 1954, when I began to publish, and never forget the prologue. "I read the chapters hooptedoodle? Every word.
There are always exceptions, of course. "Sweet Thursday" John Steinbeck is prologue, but I feel good because it is a character in the book makes clear the rules that explains how he likes to tell you things.
What makes Steinbeck in "Sweet Thursday" was the owner's chapters as an indication, though somewhat obscure, as they deal with. There are two chapters that arrives on a "hooptedoodle (talk) that tells the reader:" This spectacular flight will do with my writing, and not intermixed with the story. Sáltatelos if you want. "
"Sweet Thursday" was published in 1954, when I began to publish, and never forget the prologue. "I read the chapters hooptedoodle? Every word.
3. Do not use more "said" in dialogue .
The phrase, dialogue, belongs to the character. The verb is to be the writer snooping where they should. The verb "say" is far less intrusive than "grunt", "cry", "ask", "question" ... I once read a "she said at the end of a sentence from a character in Mary McCarthy and I had to stop reading to search the dictionary.
The phrase, dialogue, belongs to the character. The verb is to be the writer snooping where they should. The verb "say" is far less intrusive than "grunt", "cry", "ask", "question" ... I once read a "she said at the end of a sentence from a character in Mary McCarthy and I had to stop reading to search the dictionary.
4. Never use an adverb to modify the verb "say" ...
... severely reprimanded. Use an adverb in this way (or almost any way) is a mortal sin. The writer set out to disrupt the exchange rate when using such words. A character has one of my books how he used to write his historical romances "full of rape and adverbs."
5. Controls exclamation.
allowed about two or three ejaculations per 100,000 words of prose. If you have the gift of Tom Wolfe with them, you can use them profusely.
6. Never use words like "suddenly" or "soon."
This rule requires no explanation. I realized that writers who use exclamations such as "suddenly" tend to have less control over their exclamation points.
7. Dialect terms used very occasionally.
If you start to fill the page of unintelligible dialogue, you can not stop. A good example is Annie Proulx, who is able to capture very well the flavor of the speech of Wyoming.
8. Avoid overly detailed descriptions of the characters.
Steinbeck did. But in "Hills Like White Elephants" Hemingway for example, uses a unique description for the character of the American woman who accompanies the "Removed his hat and placed it on the table. " It is the only physical in history, but even so we see the couple and know them by their voice ... without accompanying adverbs.
9. Do not go into too much detail describing places and things.
If you are not Margaret Atwood, who paints scenes with language or can not describe the landscape as does Jim Harrison, do not. Even if you're equipped for the descriptions, keep in mind that the crux of the story must be action, not description.
And finally:
10. Try to eliminate anything that the reader tends to skip.
This rule came to me in 1983. Think about what you miss when you read a novel, long paragraphs of prose with too many words. What are you doing the writer? Talking about the weather, or has entered into the mind of the character and the reader either knows what the character thinks or does not care. I bet that either you do not skip dialogue.
My most important rule is one that encompasses ten.
language
If it sounds like writing, I rewrite.
If it sounds like writing, I rewrite.
