Writing Advice: What To Omit

The fabulous Elmore Leonard once said: "I try to leave out the parts that people skip."

That's probably the most succinct piece of advice—and the most profound—that a writer will ever hear.

That philosophy is why Elmore Leonard's short stories and novels MOVE.

If a novel is characterized by rising action, then an Elmore Leonard story moves like a runaway train cresting a hill and racing down.

Does your story do that?

Pull out your work in progress and read 10 pages. Are there parts you skipped over? If you don't have an objective eye, ask an honest reader to read 10 pages. Then ask them if there were sentences or paragraphs they skimmed over instead of reading word for word. If they say yes, then the reason why they skimmed is because those parts were boring.

The Dreaded B Word

What do you do when confronted with an honest reader and the dreaded B word? Immediately figure out if those paragraphs are needed. If they are, condense them as much as possible and make the new copy akin to that speeding train.

Takeaway Truth

Learning what to leave out is as important as knowing what to put in.