Elmore Leonard: "If it sounds like writing, I rewrite it."

Even if you don't write, reading Elmore Leonard's tips on writing will make you a better reader. A lot of his books have been made into pretty good movies because they are driven by plot and character without a lot of "hooptedoodle." Quentin Tarantino's best movie, Jackie Brown, was based on a Leonard novel that had a plot and credible characters his other movies lack.