Writer's Report 2.0

Advice from a master at page turners: Keep it simple

By Rick Newman
U.S. News article

Elmore Leonard’s 42nd book is his shortest, by far. And that’s the point. After penning numerous page turners later adapted for the screen, like Three-Ten to Yuma, Rum Punch, Get Shorty, and Be Cool, Leonard gave a speech in which he listed 10 pithy guidelines for writers. The list gained a following, and a revised version became Elmore Leonard’s 10 Rules of Writing. In a recent chat with U.S. News, Leonard, 82, discussed his rules—which include “keep your exclamation points under control” and “try to leave out the parts readers tend to skip”—along with his views on writing, movies, and modern technology: (more…)

From the Associated Press:

“Now & Then,” the 34th book in a series that began with the publication of “The Godwulf Manuscript” in 1973, finds Spenser as feisty and smart-alecky as ever. Despite a quarter century of getting shot at, and occasionally actually shot, both he and his friends are aging gracefully.

“Now & Then” is a return to form — one of the better Spenser novel in 20 years. The plot is unpredictable, the characters are richly drawn and the dialogue crackles. Although Parker’s work rarely approaches the excellence of more literary crime writers, his best books deliver a quick, entertaining read in a crisp, unadorned style.

more…