"Using adverbs is a mortal sin." — Elmore Leonard

Using adverbs is a mortal sin. - Elmore Leonard

"Using adverbs is a mortal sin."

— Elmore Leonard

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62 Quotes by Elmore Leonard

Elmore Leonard has 62 quotes on this site. A few more worth reading:

If it sounds like writing, I rewrite it. Or, if proper usage gets in the way, it may have to…
Never use an adverb to modify the verb 'said' . . . he admonished gravely. To use an adverb this…
At the time I begin writing a novel, the last thing I want to do is follow a plot outline.…
I don’t think writers compete, I think they’re all doing separate things in their own style.
Avoid Prologues. They can be annoying, especially a prologue following an introduction that comes after a foreword.
I won't read a book that starts with a description of the weather. I don't read books over 300 pages,…
My most important rule is one that sums up the 10: If it sounds like writing, I rewrite it.
What do you tell a man with two black eyes? Nothing, he's already been told twice.
After 58 years you'd think writing would get easier. It doesn't. If you're lucky, you become harder to please. That's…
The line of dialogue belongs to the character; the verb is the writer sticking his nose in.
Keep your exclamation points under control. You are allowed no more than two or three per 100,000 words of prose.
I don't want the reader to be aware of me as the writer.

See all 62 quotes by Elmore Leonard »

More Adverbs Quotes

This quote is filed under Adverbs Quotes, one of 26 quotes in that category. Here are a few more:

To take a few nouns, and a few pronouns, and adverbs and adjectives, and put them together, ball them up,… — Maya Angelou
The road to hell is paved with adverbs. — Stephen King
You expect far too much of a first sentence. Think of it as analagous to a good country breakfast: what… — Larry McMurtry
Cross out as many adjectives and adverbs as you can. ... It is comprehensible when I write: "The man sat… — Anton Chekhov
Never use an adverb to modify the verb 'said' . . . he admonished gravely. To use an adverb this… — Elmore Leonard
Adverbs are a sign that you've used the wrong verb. — Annie Dillard
The secret of good writing is to strip every sentence to its cleanest components. Every word that serves no function,… — William Zinsser
I believe the road to hell is paved with adverbs, and I will shout it from the rooftops. — Stephen King
I’m convinced that fear is at the root of most bad writing. Dumbo got airborne with the help of a… — Stephen King
A relativist is an individual who doesn't know the difference between an adjective and an adverb. — Bill Gaede
God loveth adverbs; and cares not how good, but how well. — Joseph Hall
The miracle is the adverbs, the way things are done. — Daniel Handler

See all 26 Adverbs Quotes »