"Don't use an adverb to modify 'said.' 'He said dismissively.'... That's the author talking."
- Elmore Leonard
This is a quote from American author Elmore Leonard, who wrote such novels as Get Shorty and Mr. Majestyk, and the short story 3:10 to Yuma, to name a few. All of these have been adapted into big screen Hollywood films.
I was watching a video of him talking about writing and this particular quote really stood out to me. How many times do I write my story rather than let my characters tell it? I hope not very often, but I fear I do this a lot more than I care to realize.
What about you? Guilty as charged?
