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" I don't outline or plan ahead when I write a novel. The more I know about what's going to happen, the less interesting it is to me; and if it's less interesting for me, it will be that way for the reader. "

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" In crime fiction, I cut my teeth on early Robert Parker, Elmore Leonard, John D. MacDonald, and Alan Furst. I always loved the writing of Hemingway and Faulkner. Cormac McCarthy's 'Border Trilogy' has been a huge influence; I think I read those novels four times. "

Nick Petrie

Early

Writing

Think

" I love the beautiful distractions of the world - television and movies, video games, the Internet in general. But I try really hard to avoid them, because they don't help me become a better writer. They subtract hours from my day. And a writer's main currency is time. Time to daydream, time to walk and think, time to sit and do the work. "

" I try not to think too much about my writing process - I tend to feel my way forward and find more insights that way. "

" I'm most interested in people who've lived life in the extreme, which is what draws me to crime fiction. "

Nick Petrie

People

Crime

" To be a carpenter or a builder or a home inspector, you have to have that kind of visual brain where you can sort of imagine something taken apart. "

" I find that I do my best work at the beginning of the day, but I'm rarely in a writing mood when I sit down. I'm usually somewhat sleep-deprived, and I always have a long list of other responsibilities calling my name. "

" Reading good books is one distraction that will help you become a better writer. And writing - that's the thing - writing is what will really make you a better writer. Write bad stories until you begin to write so-so stories, which might, if you keep at it, turn to writing good stories. "

" I'm not a big believer in the idea of genre - I'm a fan of any writer who can pull me into compelling characters and stories - but I can't imagine I'll start writing domestic dramas any time soon. "

" It's odd for me to compare my stuff to Lee Child's, because I'm such of fan of his, and also because it's curiously something I never did until I kept hearing about our protagonists' similarities. "

" Don't wait for inspiration. Learn to cultivate it. "

" I try to write about realistic people doing realistic things. Or as close as I can get, given that I'm trying to write a suspenseful crime novel. "

" I've always been drawn to the extremes of human behavior, and crime fiction is a great way to explore the lives and stories of fascinating people. "

" It's fun to figure out a way to make something happen that will get the reader involved on a visceral level. When written well, an exciting scene on the page will actually have a physical effect on the reader - your heart will beat faster, your adrenaline will start to flow. "

" Character drives the story, and the story drives the book. I don't think about where the action should go, or how much there should be, until it's required by the characters. When I find myself adding conflict just because I'm afraid that the reader might get bored, I know I've taken a wrong turn somewhere. "

" The minute the reader isn't sure what's happening, you're lost. "

" From a purely craft standpoint, a simple character has a single motivation, while complex characters have two or three or more motivations, at least one of which is in direct conflict with another. "