Elmore Leonard's 10 rules for writing fiction

1. Never open with weather.
2. Avoid prologues.
3. Never use a verb other than "said" to carry dialogue.
4. Never use an adverb to modify the word "said."
5. Keep your exclamation marks under control.
6. Never use the word "suddenly."
7. Use regional dialect, patois, sparingly if at all.
8. Avoid detailed descriptions of characters.
9. Ditto, places and things.
10. Try to leave out the parts that readers tend to skip.