Just 'know what you want to say'

 

“Ifyou have a craftsman's command of the language and basic writing techniquesyou'll be able to write - as long as you know what you want to say.”– Jeffery Deaver

 

Born in Illinois on this date in1950, mystery/crime writer Deaver earned a journalism degree from theUniversity of Missouri then went on to a law degree at Fordham before startinghis writing career as a journalist.

 

Deaver said he gravitated towardjournalism first because he was editor of his high school literary magazine anda reporter for the school paper.    Butafter some fulltime work on a newspaper, he switched back to law and practicedthat before embarking on his very successful and award-winning career as anovelist. 

 

Deaver’s formula is to first do anextensive outline.  “The outline is 95percent of the book,” he said.   “Then Isit down and write, and (for me) that's the easy part.”   In fact, he said it’s so easy for him towrite that he can even do it in the dark. “I can touch-type,” he said.  

 

Several of his books have been madeinto films, including The Bone Collector and The Devil’s Teardrop.  And his book The Never Game is the basis for the new TV hit series “Tracker.”

  

Many of his nearly 4 dozen novels feature a trickending or multiple trick endings, a technique that has both endeared himto and frustrated readers.   “Ibelieve,” he said, “my responsibility as a thriller writer is to give myreaders the most exciting 'roller coaster ride' of a suspense story I canpossibly think of.”

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