5 Cool Ideas™ for Improved Writing
By Michael Angelo Caruso

Elmore “Dutch” Leonard, is the author of more than three dozen books. Several of them have been made into motion pictures. Mr. Leonard, who happens to live a few miles from me, has published his rules of the writing game. He offers some terrific tips, which I’ve formatted as 5 Cool Ideas for better writing.

1. “Avoid prologues.”
   Life is short. Get on with it. Help your readers to do the same. Getting on with the story is also a great way to avoid writer’s block. Launch right into the action and your writing will not stall in the “blank page” phase.

2. “Never open a book with weather.”
   For that matter, never open a memo with “ . . . pursuant of our agreement.” When writing, it’s important to get to the good stuff right away. There’ll be a good time to mention whether it’s cloudy or sunny. There will never be a good time to be “pursuant of our agreement.” While I’m thinking of it, use “daily” rather than “on a daily basis.” There, I feel better.

3. “Never use a verb other than ‘said’…”
   “Never use a verb other than ‘said’ for dialogue,” said Leonard. Sounds like more of a style preference to me, but the man is Elmore Leonard. He writes dialogue better than almost everybody. When writing dialogue, try to write the exact way people talk. Use contractions and incomplete sentences, if appropriate. This is a great way to give dimension to your characters.

4. “… leave out the parts that readers skip.”
   Edit ruthlessly. Always try to say it in fewer sentences, with fewer words, using fewer syllables. Use a varied rhythm to discourage readers from skipping parts. Try a short sentence. Then, add a more complex sentence that includes an imbedded phrase or a combination of ideas.

5. “If it sounds like writing, rewrite it.”
   Rewrites rule! Always rewrite important e-mails, faxes and letters. They will improve every time you revise them. Speeches will benefit from rewrites, too.