Ask the Author: Lee Child
Answered Questions (34)
Lee Child
My first agent was the first I queried and he sold it immediately to the first publisher he contacted. It often doesn’t happen that easily or quickly; I realize I’m one of the lucky ones.
Lee Child
I’m very comfortable writing in the first person. It feels more natural to me, and it’s the intuitive way to tell a character-based story. But sometimes the story requires the reader to know something that Reacher hasn’t yet discovered. If that’s the case, I’ll use third person. Third person allows the reader to essentially see around corners.
Lee Child
It’s possible there’ll be another book including members of Reacher’s 110th unit but I don’t plan ahead. I’ve just begun to write next year’s Reacher and it’s too soon to tell where he’ll go or who he’ll meet.
Lee Child
I’m very comfortable writing in the first person. It feels more natural to me, and it’s the intuitive way to tell a character-based story. But sometimes the story requires the reader to know something that Reacher hasn’t yet discovered. If that’s the case, I’ll use third person. Third person allows the reader to essentially see around corners.
Lee Child
There’s a lovely symmetry to writing as many books but no more than John D. MacDonald wrote about Travis McGee (21) but if you keep reading Reacher novels, I can’t see any reason to stop writing them.
Lee Child
I’m very comfortable writing in the first person. It feels more natural to me, and it’s the intuitive way to tell a character-based story. But sometimes the story requires the reader to know something that Reacher hasn’t yet discovered. If that’s the case, I’ll use third person. Third person allows the reader to essentially see around corners.
Lee Child
I’m very comfortable writing in the first person. It feels more natural to me, and it’s the intuitive way to tell a character-based story. But sometimes the story requires the reader to know something that Reacher hasn’t yet discovered. If that’s the case, I’ll use third person. Third person allows the reader to essentially see around corners.
Lee Child
My father spent time in the army and I remember clearly all the stories he told. Now I get correspondence from current serving soldiers. The dynamic between enlisted men and the higher-ups hasn’t changed in all these years - probably not since the Romans. Or even earlier.
Lee Child
I would say Reacher and I share a sense of humor. I remember laughing out loud when I wrote some lines in “Personal” - usually when Reacher feels some kind of sardonic bewilderment about the craziness of whatever world he’s up against.
Lee Child
Thanks! Yes, I would say Reacher and I share a sense of humor. I remember laughing out loud when I wrote some lines in “Personal” - usually when Reacher feels some kind of sardonic bewilderment about the craziness of whatever world he’s up against.
Lee Child
There’s a lovely symmetry to writing as many books but no more than John D. MacDonald wrote about Travis McGee (21) but if you keep reading Reacher novels, I can’t see any reason to stop writing them.
Lee Child
You could say a writer’s whole life is research. Everyone I meet, everything I read or see or experience is packed away for future use.
Lee Child
I’m very comfortable writing in the first person. It feels more natural to me, and it’s the intuitive way to tell a character-based story. But sometimes the story requires the reader to know something that Reacher hasn’t yet discovered. If that’s the case, I’ll use third person. Third person allows the reader to essentially see around corners.
Lee Child
I love numbers. Probably more than math itself which I’m no expert in, I love number-related trivia. It only made sense to use that knowledge in the books.
Lee Child
There’s a lovely symmetry to writing as many books but no more than John D. MacDonald wrote about Travis McGee (21) but if you keep reading Reacher novels, I can’t see any reason to stop writing them.
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