gore
[quote=fulmine][quote]
In 2001, author Elmore Leonard, who died this morning at the age of 87, wrote a piece for the New York Times in which he laid out, very simply, his ten rules for good writing. You can read the entire piece, with explanations, over at the Times' site, but here are the basic precepts. Use them wisely.
Never open a book with weather.
Avoid prologues.
Never use a verb other than "said" to carry dialogue.
Never use an adverb to modify the verb "said” … he admonished gravely.
Keep your exclamation points under control. You are allowed no more than two or three per 100,000 words of prose.
Never use the words "suddenly" or "all hell broke loose."
Use regional dialect, patois, sparingly.
Avoid detailed descriptions of characters.
Don't go into great detail describing places and things.
Try to leave out the part that readers tend to skip.
[/quote][/quote]
Sad news, half way through Maximum Bob ... hope that's just coincidence.
[quote]Dale Crowe Junior told Kathy Baker, his probation officer, he didn’t see where he had done anything wrong. He had gone to the go-go bar to meet a buddy of his, had one beer, that’s all, while he was waiting, minding his own business and this go-go whore came up to his table and started giving him a private dance he never asked for.
“They move your knees apart to get in close,” Dale Crowe said, “so they can put it right in your face. This one’s name was Earlene. I told her I wasn’t interested, she kept right on doing it, so I got up and left. The go-go whore starts yelling I owe her five bucks and this bouncer come running over. I give him a shove was all, go outside and there’s a green-and-white parked by the front door waiting. The bouncer, he tries to get tough then, showing off, so I give him one, popped him good thinking the deputies would see he’s the one started it. Shit, they cuff me, throw me in the squad car, won’t even hear my side of it. Next thing, they punch me up on this little computer they have? The one deputy goes, ‘Oh, well look it here. He’s on probation. Hit a police officer.’ Well, then they’re just waiting for me to give ‘em a hard time. And you don’t think I wasn’t set up?”[/quote]
Does he pass?
pipoldchap
Seamus Heaney.
Few would question his place as the greatest Irish poet since W.B. Yeats. I like his earlier stuff best (e.g., NORTH, WINTERING OUT, STATION ISLAND) and his new translation of BEOWULF was a magnificent achievement.