Jeff Abbott
Jeff Abbott
Jeff Abbottis a U.S. suspense novelist. He has degrees in History and English from Rice University. He lives in Austin, Texas. His early novels were traditional detective fiction, but in recent years he has turned to writing thriller fiction. A theme of his work is the idea of ordinary people caught up in extraordinary danger and fighting to return to their normal lives. His novels are published in several countries and have also been bestsellers in the United Kingdom, Australia,...
NationalityAmerican
ProfessionNovelist
CountryUnited States of America
job next publicity single sit ton uncommon writer
You just have to sit down and write the next book. I mean, it's not all uncommon for a writer to get a ton of publicity for one book and then not get as much for the next one. I don't worry about that because I try to worry about the one single part of the job I can control: the writing of the book.
choice obvious seemed
We do something like this every year. Then this catastrophe hit, and it seemed like the obvious choice to help.
dangers facing incredible people reader wonder
I want the reader to be in the shoes of everyday people who are facing incredible dangers and wonder if they would make the same choices.
ask contacts questions research scenes travel
I travel, a lot, to research the locales for the books. I have professional contacts that I can ask questions of or show them scenes to vet.
beat
He is singularly unequipped to beat these people.
asked broader build consider easier fourth loyal market novel pages series
I had started writing the fourth Whit Mosley book, ... I was 40 pages into it, and then Dutton asked me if I would consider writing a standalone. The series novel can do a lot to build a loyal readership, but the standalone is sometimes easier for the publisher to market to a broader audience.
breathing outline payoff plot sure tight
I outline in some detail, but even after the outline is done I often get a new idea that is an improvement, so the outline is a living, breathing thing as well. I also re-outline when I'm two-thirds done, to be sure that there is an emotional payoff from all the plot lines and to be sure the story is as tight as it can be.
jobs stupid rams
There is a time on every job where you say, screw caution. I'm not foolhardy. I'm not stupid. But sometimes you have to be the battering ram.
revenge responsibility heart
An astonishing debut. Brilliantly conceived, masterfully written, Stuart Neville’s THE TWELVE is both a heart-pounding thriller and a stunning examination of responsibility and revenge. He is going to be a major new voice in suspense fiction.
believe hero character
I believe the most intricate plot won't matter much to readers if they don't care about the characters, especially in a series. So I try to focus hard on making each character, whether villain or hero, have an interesting flaw that readers can relate to.
moving thinking creative
I do think Austin is a great town for writers; we have a lot of them here. But I grew up in Austin, and so I didn't move here because it was a creative mecca; I was just lucky to live here.
vacation want good-reads
I want to be a writer you can always depend on for a good read during your vacation, during your flight, during a time in your life when you want to forget the world around you.
jobs book writing
It's not at all uncommon for a writer to get a ton of publicity for one book and then not get as much for the next one. I don't worry about that because I try to worry about the one single part of the job I can control: the writing of the book. If I do that well, I feel, good tidings generally will follow and readers will stick with me.
running book media
No one forces me, or any other writer, to sell a film option on the books. If you don't want to run the risk that the filmmakers may adapt your work in a way you don't like, then you don't sell the option. You know when you sell it that they will have to make some changes, just because film and TV are different media than books.