'Justified' Producer Shares Crime Writing Secrets

Elmore Leonard has had the kind of writing career many aspiring writers dream of. Over six decades, he's written scores of successful crime novels, short stories and scripts for the big and small screens.

The acclaimed TV series on FX, Justified, is based on one of Leonard's short stories, "Fire in the Hole." The show has garnered awards for its gritty yet likeable characters.

Leonard, 86, is the show's executive producer. He talks with NPR's John Donvan about how he crafts his characters for the page and screen and his 2012 novel, Raylan.

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