I still read Hemingway. I still read his short stories because they're so good. He doesn't waste any words.

Keep your exclamation points under control. You are allowed no more than two or three per 100,000 words of prose.

Really, when I write a book I'm the only one I have to please. That's the beauty of writing a book instead of a screenplay.

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

Try not to write the parts that people skip.

Never use an adverb to modify the verb 'said' . . . he admonished gravely. To use an adverb this way (or almost any way) is a mortal sin. The writer is now exposing himself in earnest, using a word that distracts and can interrupt the rhythm of the exchange.

A friend of mine who is in the publishing business knew I was writing a book, and he said, 'Have you said anything yet about the good guy? Because I know you spend so much time with the bad guys.' Because they're fun. So then you have to make the good guy fun, in order to compete. That's the challenge.