Elmore Leonard's 10 Tips For Writing

Here are some tips by a writer with a spare clean style. I like his work but know I've broken at least 4 of his rules. Must be that I'm reading John Steinbeck's East of Eden– a great book! (Oops, an exclamation mark!)

1. Never open a book with the 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.”
5. Keep your exclamation points under control!
6. Never use the words “suddenly” or “all hell broke loose.”
7. Use regional dialect, patois, sparingly.
8. Avoid detailed descriptions of characters.
9. Same for places and things.
10. Leave out the parts readers tend to skip.