by Harlan Coben
Flap Copy Description:
With 100 million books in print worldwide and over twenty blockbuster television and film adaptations of his work, Harlan Coben has much to teach us about the creative process. Part deep personal memoir, part storytelling seminar, Plot Twist is a refreshingly honest look at the life of a writer whose stories have thrilled us for decades...
My Thoughts:
While Mr. Coben is a super successful author, I must confess that this is the first Harlan Coben book I've read. However (like so many others) I discovered the uber-talented writer through his made-for-TV mystery thrillers. When I listened to him on a podcast, I was fascinated by his life, and by his approach to his craft. I just had to read his new book!
From his pragmatic approach to writing, to his quirky Jewish family (which includes the Kosher Nostra!), this is one of the few books I've read on writing that was not only insightful, but entertaining. He also reveals a few of his secrets to those incredible finales for which he's so famous. He included numerous inspirational quotes, which was cool for me since I love quotes. Here is one that he mentioned over and over: "If it helps me produce pages, good. If it doesn't, bad." My personal favorite: "Amateurs wait for the muse to arrive; the rest of us just go to work." (Attributed to many authors.)
I highly recommend Plot Twist to anyone who aspires to be an author, and to established authors as well!
