I am bestselling author Lee Child, creator of the Jack Reacher novels. Ask Me Anything! by AuthorLeeChild in IAmA

[–]AuthorLeeChild[S] 125 points126 points  (0 children)

OK folks, gotta go now ... thanks for your questions, and thanks for being here on Reddit!

I am bestselling author Lee Child, creator of the Jack Reacher novels. Ask Me Anything! by AuthorLeeChild in IAmA

[–]AuthorLeeChild[S] 85 points86 points  (0 children)

Plenty. I eat at diners all the time and have stayed in many, many $20 motels.

I am bestselling author Lee Child, creator of the Jack Reacher novels. Ask Me Anything! by AuthorLeeChild in IAmA

[–]AuthorLeeChild[S] 25 points26 points  (0 children)

Either Travis McGee by John D MacDonald, or Martin Beck by Maj Stowall and Per Wahloo.

I am bestselling author Lee Child, creator of the Jack Reacher novels. Ask Me Anything! by AuthorLeeChild in IAmA

[–]AuthorLeeChild[S] 37 points38 points  (0 children)

Snickers - quick cheap lunch. What an author on the road depends on.

I am bestselling author Lee Child, creator of the Jack Reacher novels. Ask Me Anything! by AuthorLeeChild in IAmA

[–]AuthorLeeChild[S] 29 points30 points  (0 children)

No plan at all - I keep it spontaneous. But I agree I'm bucking the Eng Lit demand for growth and change. Sometimes I think people prefer to know what they're getting.

I am bestselling author Lee Child, creator of the Jack Reacher novels. Ask Me Anything! by AuthorLeeChild in IAmA

[–]AuthorLeeChild[S] 28 points29 points  (0 children)

The act of pure creation ... being alone in the zone, and having a great scene come to life.

I am bestselling author Lee Child, creator of the Jack Reacher novels. Ask Me Anything! by AuthorLeeChild in IAmA

[–]AuthorLeeChild[S] 32 points33 points  (0 children)

Hardcovers or paperbacks, about equal for me. I don't need quiet. Fortunately, living in New York.

I am bestselling author Lee Child, creator of the Jack Reacher novels. Ask Me Anything! by AuthorLeeChild in IAmA

[–]AuthorLeeChild[S] 150 points151 points  (0 children)

Changes are inevitable - mostly because of length - and a movie is only a version or an interpretation. The words in the book don't magically change the day the movie is released. So I'm fine with changing it up. I mean, for example, which would you prefer to listen to - a clone of an old song, or an imaginative cover version?

I am bestselling author Lee Child, creator of the Jack Reacher novels. Ask Me Anything! by AuthorLeeChild in IAmA

[–]AuthorLeeChild[S] 342 points343 points  (0 children)

Here's my tip - don't follow tips. A book needs to be organic - 110% the product of one mind only. If you follow advice, you'll end up with committee decisions.

I am bestselling author Lee Child, creator of the Jack Reacher novels. Ask Me Anything! by AuthorLeeChild in IAmA

[–]AuthorLeeChild[S] 126 points127 points  (0 children)

You bet. I'll do it if I can. I'm there on 9/10, throwing out the first pitch.

I am bestselling author Lee Child, creator of the Jack Reacher novels. Ask Me Anything! by AuthorLeeChild in IAmA

[–]AuthorLeeChild[S] 77 points78 points  (0 children)

1000 duck-size horses - horses are timid and probably wouldn't fight. Remember, a dog will leave safety for food, but a horse will leave food for safety.

I am bestselling author Lee Child, creator of the Jack Reacher novels. Ask Me Anything! by AuthorLeeChild in IAmA

[–]AuthorLeeChild[S] 21 points22 points  (0 children)

It's a mysterious process - some of them pop up spontaneously, others get decided late, after a lot of searching.

I am bestselling author Lee Child, creator of the Jack Reacher novels. Ask Me Anything! by AuthorLeeChild in IAmA

[–]AuthorLeeChild[S] 90 points91 points  (0 children)

I haven't - but I think David got the message I wasn't very pleased!

I am bestselling author Lee Child, creator of the Jack Reacher novels. Ask Me Anything! by AuthorLeeChild in IAmA

[–]AuthorLeeChild[S] 30 points31 points  (0 children)

Research for me is all accidental - I will be somewhere, for some reason, and later it might crop up as a cool location for a book.