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Elmore Leonard
Author
Monday, Jan. 28, 2002; 2 p.m. EST
Elmore Leonard first become interested in writing at the age of 10, after reading a serialization of "All Quiet on the Westen Front" in the Detroit Times. While splitting his time between college and working at an advertising agency, Leonard started writing short westerns for the Saturday Evening Post, Argosy and other publications. But it was not until the western genre dried up and he switched to crime and mystery novels that Leonard started to achieve both national and international attention.
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Elmore Leonard
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His newest book "Tishomingo Blues," which goes on sale Jan. 29, tells the tale of a Mississippi Casino diver who witness a murder while standing on an 80 foot high-dive platform.
Leonard will be online to discuss his new career, this past works and his newest novel.
Submit your questions and comments before or during the discussion.
Leonard is the author of numerous short stories and 37 novels including Glitz, Killshot, Get Shorty and Be Cool. He lives in Bloomfield Village, Mich. and has 5 children and 11 grandchildren.
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Elmore Leonard: I am very pleased to be coming out with this new book "Tishomingo Blues". It is my favorite so far. I expect to write a few more before I am through.
Alexandria, Va.:
Was John Travolta in the film "Get Shorty" how you imagined the lead character in your book would be?
Elmore Leonard: I was apprehensive about Travolta at first because Pulp Fiction hadn't been released yet and I kept thinking of him in "Look Who's Talking." But once I saw Pulp Fiction I knew he would be great.
Honolulu, Hawaii:
I've read everything you've written; and I agree with George Will's assessment that you are the greatest character writer currently out there.
Question:
You wrote several western novels in your early writing days but have never returned to that genre. Any chance we'll see another western out of you one of these days?
Elmore Leonard: I consider my novel Cuba Libre a Cuban western. I don't anticipate any others yet So, no -- no plans.
Washington, D.C.:
Sir, you are the greatest fiction writer alive.
How much planning goes into the intricate plots of your novels? Do you have an outline of how the whole thing will go, or do you worry more about characters and then decide on plot elements for them on the fly?
Elmore Leonard: I never outline. I don't know where the book is going until I get into it. For example in Tishomingo Blues I began with a high diver because I thought that he would be an interesting character, then I decided on a location in Mississippi. The next thing was Civil War Battle reenactment. So I decided to mix the high diver, Mississippi, Civil War battle reenactment and Dixieland Mafia and see what I came up with.
The plot comes along. I am most interested in the interplay between the characters.
Columbus, Ohio:
Do you still call the Detroit area home? If I
visit Detroit what should I take in during
my trip?
Elmore Leonard: That is a tough question. I have always lived there and I like it but I am not sure that if I didn't live in Detroit I would ever have reason to visit.
San Francisco, Calif.:
Hi Dutch (It's OK to call you Dutch, right?),
Who's your favorite living poet?
Elmore Leonard: That is a tough one
I think maybe Jim Harrison, although I have trouble interpreting his poetry. But I like him as a prose writer so much.
Harrisburg, Pa.:
Unfortunately, your latest book is not out yet so we are unable to discuss it. Yet, as one who believes most writers' lives and their writings result from the progression of their experiences, what differences (if any) did you observe in yourself as a writer when you wrote this book that were missing or lacking in your previous writings?
Elmore Leonard: IT isn't that anything was missing that I was looking for. When I think about writing a book it is simply assembling characters that interest me. Characters who can talk and carry dialogue. I like to move my stories along with dialogue and always from a character's point of view, so I look for different kinds of characters when I begin.
Columbus, Ohio:
Why doesn't Hollywood understand that
"its the script, stupid?" What has been the
best screen version of your work?
Elmore Leonard: I think the last three pictures, Get Shorty, Jackie Brown and Out of Sight have been by far the best adaptations. The most closely adapted was Jackie Brown -- it was the book from beginning to end.
The problem is, I think all of my books look as though they would make good movies. They are written in scenes with mostly dialogue. But when the screenwriter is invited by the studio to read the book then they ask him "what is your take on this book" and they want him to come up with something that will make it better if possible. Maybe in the past it has always been "how can you bring more action into the story" so they are looking at plot rather than developing the characters as they are in the book. We have to remember that screenwriters are writers and they want to show that they can write and not simply cut and paste scenes that are already in the book.
Washington, D.C.:
You mentioned that you enjoy the interplay between the characters in your novels and that you don't go for an outline when writing, so do your characters drive the narrative?
I guess what I'm asking is whether the characters drive the story, or rather whether the story drives the characters?
Elmore Leonard: Definitely the characters drive the story. I don't think of a story idea and drop characters into it. I think of characters and how they interact and the plot comes out of that.
Herndon, Va.:
Mr. Leonard: I've been reading you for so long I started with your "westerns," and look forward to seeing you at Borders Books this Thursday. Since you've been involved with some very successful movies based on your books -- when you now write a novel, are you also thinking of a possible movie script?
Elmore Leonard: In the beginning when I was writing western my aim was to sell to Hollywood - at least I hoped to. But it is my style to lends itself to movie adaptation, not so much my goal.
Washington, D.C.:
How did you come to develop your writing style?
Elmore Leonard: I came to develop it must the way Hemmingway did. I don't have the language to write a book from my own point o view -- from the omniscient point of view -- which is the classic style of the novels. I had to write from the character's point of view. I hope that when you read my book you are never aware of me, only the characters.
Gettysburg, Pa.:
I'll read anything you write. I think maybe "Bandits" and "La Brava" are my favorites. All your characters are vivid -- men, women, creeps and good guys. The dialogue amazes me; it's so evocative. I won't be able to think of a question for you till long after this discussion is over, so please just accept my compliments. And keep writing.
Elmore Leonard: Thank you very much.
Washington, D.C.:
How well do you get to know your characters before you write them into your novels?
Elmore Leonard: Most of the characters - the important ones anyway - I will get to know well. I make notes about where they came from, what they like, what they don't. I think of them and what they were like as children. I audition my characters in opening scenes. If they can't talk they might be demoted to a less important role or they might get shot and disappear, but there is always that characters who, although minor, will say something unexpected and even surprise me and then the character becomes important and assumes an importance in the plot.
In Tishomingo Blues it is a woman Loretta.
Toledo, Ohio:
Why Tishomingo, of all places? I had kin in Tish. Co. in the 1800s, and having been there on a research trip, its a bit... obscure. Or is it just that Tishomingo sounds so darn cool?
Elmore Leonard: I used Tishomingo because I like the sound of it. The Civil War battle reinactment of Brice's Crossroads the battle takes place near Tishomingo. It takes place near Tunica in the book, but the idea of Delta Blues becomes an important note in the book and the song Tishomingo Blues is part of that.
Elmore Leonard: I am going to be at Barnes & Noble in Broadway tomorrow and Borders at Bailey's Crossroads, Va. at 7:30 if you can make it.
I think in reading my books that the telling of the story is more important then the outcome. I feel so lucky that I can do something that entertains me and be successful at it. I am just so happy that you all are interested as well.
Thank you.
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Note: Mr. Leonard will be at Borders in Bailey's Crossroads, Va. this THURSDAY at 7:30.
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