Elmore John Leonard, Jr. (October 11, 1925 – August 20, 2013) was an American novelist, short story writer, and screenwriter. His earliest novels, published in the 1950s, were Westerns, but Leonard went on to specialize in crime fiction and suspense thrillers, many of which have been adapted into motion pictures. Among his best-known works are Get Shorty, Out of Sight, Hombre, Mr. Majestyk, and Rum Punch (adapted for the movie Jackie Brown). Leonard's writings include short stories that became the films 3:10 to Yuma and The Tall T, as well as the FX television series Justified. (Click here for full Wikipedia article)
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A good editor is someone who knows what your problem is.
A man can be in two different places and he will be two different men.
Don't interrupt a man when he's giving himself hell.
Don't worry about what your mother thinks of your language.
For a long time I've been walking down life's road with my two pals, Bad Luck and Bad Choices. Fortunately I'm a big believer in new beginnings, new friends, and running from my problems.
He looked like a high risk, the kind of guy who falls asleep smoking in bed.
He reads, but the wrong books.
I don't get in a position to be frightened. I don't do anything dangerous, and I always pay my bills.
I try to leave out the parts readers skip.
If it sounds like writing, I rewrite it.
If work was a good thing, the rich would have it all and not let you do it.
If you're going to spend your life standing on principle, you want to be sure everyone understands what the principle is.
It doesn't have to make sense, it just has to sound like it does.
My most important piece of advice to all you would-be writers: when you write, try to leave out all the parts readers skip.
Never use an adverb to modify the verb 'said'... he admonished gravely.
There are 500 million people on Facebook, but what are they saying to each other? Not much.
Using adverbs is a mortal sin.
What do you tell a man with two black eyes? Nothing, he's already been told twice.
When you write, try to leave out all the parts readers skip.
When you're really cute that's all you have to be, you make a career out of it. Someone asks you what you do, you say, 'Nothing. I'm cute.'
Wonderful things can happen... when you plant seeds of distrust in a garden of assholes.
Categories: Elmore Leonard, Quotes of the day
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