Don't go into great detail describing places and things, unless you're Margaret Atwood and can paint scenes with … - Elmore Leonard

Same topic Authors

Quote of the day

Mankind are greater gainers by suffering each other to live as seems good to themselves, than by compelling each to live as seems good to the rest.

Elmore Leonard

Don't go into great detail describing places and things, unless you're Margaret Atwood and can paint scenes with language. You don't want descriptions that bring the action, the flow of the story, to a standstill.

Describing, Details, Stories, Things, Unless, Want

Same Author Quotes

I always felt, you don’t have a good time doin crime, you may as well find a job.

Doin, Felt, Good Times, Jobs, May, Time

I focus on characters as individuals with attitudes and write each scene from a particular character's point of view. That way, even narrative passages take on the character's sound. I don't want the reader to be aware of me, writing.

Attitude, Character, Particular, Point, Sound, Writing

I don't believe in writer's block or waiting for inspiration. If you're a writer, you sit down and write.

Believe, Block, Inspiration, Sit, Waiting, Write

My most important rule is one that sums up the 10: If it sounds like writing, I rewrite it.

Important, Rewrite, Rule, Sound, Writing

I've quit writing screenplay [adaptations]. It's too much work. I don't look at writing a novel as work, because I only have to please myself. I have a good time sitting here by myself, thinking up situations and characters, getting them to talk - it's so satisfying. But screenwriting's different. You might think you're writing for yourself, but there are too many other people to please.

Adaptations, Character, Screenplay, Thinking, Work, Writing

Similar Quotes

John Owen

The more I see of the glory of Christ, the more the painted beauties of this world will wither in my eyes.

Christ, Eye, See, Wither, World

Dennis Prager

If the West believed in something, it would prevail overnight. The problem is you can't beat bad faith with no faith.

Bad, Beat, Beats, Faith, Problem, West

John Stuart Mill

Mankind are greater gainers by suffering each other to live as seems good to themselves, than by compelling each to live as seems good to the rest.

Equality, Gainers, Greater, Mankind, Suffering, Tolerance

Haruki Murakami

Someone who can search for something is happy. Searching gives a meaning to life. Nowadays it’s not so easy to find something you might be looking for. The most important thing, however, is the search itself, the way you take. It’s not so important where it leads. that’s why my characters are always looking for something, maybe only a cat, a sheep or a wife, but that is at least the beginning of a story.

Cat, Character, Looking, Sheep, Way, Wife

Charles Handy

I like less the story that a frog if put in cold water will not bestir itself if that water is heated up slowly and gradually and will in the end let itself be killed, boiled alive, too comfortable with continuity to realize that continuous change at some point may become intolerable and demand a change in behaviour.

Behaviour, Change, Continuous, Like, Water