“Psychopaths... people who know the differences between right and wrong, but don't give a shit. That's what most of my characters are like.”

“There’s something happening here, I know it. It’s right in front of my face, but I just can’t see it.”

“I spent most of my dough on booze, broads and boats and the rest I wasted.”

“Elmore Leonard's Ten Rules of Writing1. Never open a book with weather.2. Avoid prologues.3. Never use a verb other than "said" to carry dialogue.4. Never use an adverb to modify the verb "said”…he admonished gravely.5. Keep your exclamation points under control. You are allowed no more than two or three per 100,000 words of prose. 6. Never use the words "suddenly" or "all hell broke loose."7. Use regional dialect, patois, sparingly.8. Avoid detailed descriptions of characters.9. Don't go into great detail describing places and things.10. Try to leave out the part that readers tend to skip.My most important rule is one that sums up the 10.If it sounds like writing, I rewrite it.”

“There were a lot of terms you had to learn, as opposed to the shylock business where all you had to know how to say was 'Give me the fuckin money.”

“when you're really cute that's all you have to be, you make a career out of it. someone asks you what you do, you say, 'nothing. i'm cute.”

“My most important piece of advice to all you would-be writers: When you write, try to leave out all the parts readers skip.”