Saturday, November 12, 2022

Words of Inspo for #NaNoWriMo

National Novel Writing Month is upon us, and the pressure is on!  If you're not in the know, NaNoWriMo is an annual challenge in which participants attempt to write a 50,000-word manuscript during the month of November.  With a focus on length of work over quality of writing, writers are encouraged to finish their first draft quickly so it can be edited later at their discretion.  After all, writing is revising, as they say.  

I'm all for NaNoWriMo, but I also like to take this time to read and reflect on established authors' words of wisdom.  This year, I'm focused on Elmore Leonard's 10 Rules of Writing, which I love almost as much as Leonard's sleek and stylish crime-fiction books.  


Elmore Leonard's 10 Rules of Writing

1. Never open a book with 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. Don’t go into great detail describing places and things.

And finally:

10. Try to leave out the part that readers tend to skip. 

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


So go write that NYT best seller #NaNoWriMo novel, y'all!  Just watch those adverbs and don't overdo the exclamation points.  And remember,  if it sounds like writing, rewrite it.  

I think I'll go re-read Be Cool now.     


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