PLACE AND DATE OF BIRTH:
Bennington, Vermont, USA, March 8, 1960

FAVOURITE BOOK:
Treasure Island; Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy

MOST TREASURED POSSESSION
A collection of books written by members of my family

FAVOURITE SONG:
Born to Run

FAVOURITE FILM:
Casablanca

When did you start writing?
I started writing short stories in high school. My first published story was ‘Ringtoss’ which won Seventeen Magazine’s National Short Story Contest in 1978, when I was a high school senior.

Where do you get your ideas?
I get my ideas from many different places. For example, my novel California Blue grew out of news stories I read about clashes between loggers and environmentalists in the Pacific Northwest. Danger Zone was inspired by my experiences while living through the Los Angeles riots. You Don’t Know Me had a strange or...

PLACE AND DATE OF BIRTH:
Bennington, Vermont, USA, March 8, 1960

FAVOURITE BOOK:
Treasure Island; Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy

MOST TREASURED POSSESSION
A collection of books written by members of my family

FAVOURITE SONG:
Born to Run

FAVOURITE FILM:
Casablanca

When did you start writing?
I started writing short stories in high school. My first published story was ‘Ringtoss’ which won Seventeen Magazine’s National Short Story Contest in 1978, when I was a high school senior.

Where do you get your ideas?
I get my ideas from many different places. For example, my novel California Blue grew out of news stories I read about clashes between loggers and environmentalists in the Pacific Northwest. Danger Zone was inspired by my experiences while living through the Los Angeles riots. You Don’t Know Me had a strange origin – one day the voice of the main character came to me as I was walking down Park Avenue after lunch. I hurried back to my office and wrote the first chapter, and then I tried to let John tell the rest of his story and stay out of his way.

Can you give your top three tips to becoming a successful author?
1. Take some chances in life. Travel, make odd friends, and take strange jobs. I believe writers – especially young writers – need interesting and varied life experiences.
2. Learn about writing by reading. Try to figure out why great writers made specific plot and character choices. Let your favourite writers become your teachers.
3. Novels, for me, ultimately come down to character. If you can create a main character the reader cares about, everything else will fall into place.

Favourite memory?
The birth of my son. Seeing his face for the first time, and holding him in my arms.

Favourite place in the world and why?
Atami, Japan. I have many happy memories from this Japanese seaside town, including writing my first two novels there.

What are your hobbies?
I play soccer on a team we call ‘Black Label’ because many of my teammates and I are well aged.

I study languages, and I love to cook.

If you hadn't been a writer, what do you think you would have been?
I almost went to medical school, but I think I would have made a lousy doctor. There are people alive in the world today who might not have been alive if I had gone to medical school.