At 07:04 PM 14/01/2006 -0500, you wrote:
>Jim responded to my comments:
>
>"I don't think you mean to imply that Leonard was
laying down hard and
>fast rules that all others must follow, . .
."
>
>No, I did not mean to imply that.
Is there any rule in writing that can be laid down hard and
fast that all must follow? I realize you two are talking more
about Leonard's intent, but that must have been informed by
experience. I can't think of any "rule" in writing that
hasn't been broken somewhere to interesting effect. As to
long descriptive passages, I frequently meet readers who tell
me they enjoy reading them. They like the use of language to
linger with the author over them.
Leonard doesn't avoid description either, but he tends to
break it up and provide it on the run, and he uses his skill
with dialogue to invoke familiar types of characters to his
readers, which he then goes on to develop (or sometimes not)
through their actions. One exception to this is the opening
scene in Kill Shot, which, according to the then organizer of
Toronto's International Festival of Authors, where Leonard
was a guest, Leonard wrote in response to a challenge to show
he could produce such descriptive passages if he was so
inclined. I don't recall being bored by it.
I think. Something like that. Kerry
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