Recommended Reading: Elmore Leonard’s 10 Rules of Writing - Rule 4

In his recent book Elmore keeps his rules short.

Short and hard to adhere to for the uninitiated.

While writing my most recent short story I broke 2 of the first 3 within the first 4 sentences, fixed one at Mr. Leonard’s recommendation, then discovered I’d passed Rule 4 with flying colours. [Click here for context]

Maybe not flying. More like unwittingly.

Rule 4. Never use an adverb to modify the verb “said”.

Hey, I didn’t. I checked.

Then I continued to write.

It was mid-afternoon and the sun was hotter than hell.

I felt as if a hole was being drilled through the back of my neck with a pick ax.

At the same time the woman who had just backed into my motorcycle was drilling a hole into my forehead with a stare so cold I swore my whole body was immersed in ice, except for the back of my neck.

“Git out your wallet,” I said.

After spitting onto the hot tarmac next to her red spiked heels I said, “You scratched the paint and I don’t care what you say to me - you pay up today.”

She said, “You jerk. How do you know it was me?”

“I was having coffee right in there when you knocked it over,” I said.


I pointed to my mug and notebook on the table inside the coffee shop window a few feet away.

“If I hadn’t run out and stepped in front of your car you would have been outta here.”

Her hands didn’t budge from her hips and she continued to look at me as if I was shit on her shoes.

“I’m sure I didn’t hit it hard enough to knock it over,” she said.

“Then why did you get out of your car while I was lifting it up?”

I took a step into her personal space and saw her flinch.

“You weren’t going to give me a hand were you?” I asked.


[Painting of angry woman in context here]

***

Any thoughts about Elmore or my brilliant intro so far?

Click here to visit Elmore Leonard’s website.

You will find my thoughts about Rule 1 at this location and Rule 2 here.