Harlan Coben Sold 100 Million Books. Here’s His Advice for Aspiring Writers.
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How can I stop over‑thinking and just start writing?
You can always fix sad pages, you can't fix no pages. You just gotta get something down. Start writing. Don't worry if it's crap, don't worry if it's in the wrong order. Don't worry that you started in 2014 and really you want to start in 1974. You'll do all that later. You can fix everything later. No one should ever see that first draft. Just start writing. If your dream is to be a published novelist, the you of Golden that came out this year, he was seventy years old. When the craw dad sings, she was seventy years old when that book came out. It is not too late. It is never too late. That's the beauty of writing. And what's the harm if it is?
Why is it never too late to become a published novelist?
What's the harm if you fail? So what? So you've done some fun writing and research. It's the same thing as your friend who's painting all day long or as a hobby. Your hobby is going to be writing. Just start putting pen to paper. You'll be surprised how much quantity will inevitably make quality. If you just keep writing, just like anything else in life, you're gonna get better at it.
Welcome to Open Book. I am your host, Anthony Scaramucci. Uh joining us today is best-selling author, New York Times best-selling author. He's a creator, an executive producer, Harlan Coben. The new book is a little bit different than the old books, I should say, because he is a prolific fiction writer, uh, amazing storyteller. I've read so many of your books, Harlan. So I'm really grateful that you accepted my invitation.
What role does self‑doubt play in a writer’s creative process?
Just wanna tell the the viewers this, you've so viewers and listeners, you've sold more than 100 million books. And uh you've had your work translated around the world and so many of your stories have become major television series. But the title of this book is called Plot Twist, Life Craft and the Messy First Draft, a memoir on writing. I gotta tell I really enjoyed this book because I I uh I live vicariously through people like you, Daniel Silva, Brad Thor. These are buds of mine. uh who I admire greatly. Brad Brad Thor is actually up on the um he's on the he's in he's in the Arctic right now, Harlan, sending me pictures, okay? Making me jealous of this uh once in a lifetime trip. But but what I love about your this book is that it's a masterclass on writing.
And so first question is, why did you write this book? Uh, what motivated you to make Harlan Cobin the main character of a story?
Well, hey, first of all, it's great to be here, uh, Anthony. Daniel Silva and Brad are they're good friends of mine as well. So I could just see you getting along, by the way, with Thor. He's a you know, he that's uh he's a great dude.
Why should I embrace a “messy first draft” and not edit as I go?
He's a always always has something interesting to say and always doing something uh interesting. I w you know, um I just written two uh written thirty seven or thirty-eight um suspense novels, but I'd written two this that particular year my own and I'd written one with Therese Witherspoon. And I was just kind of like, I need something different. And I was thinking a lot about how I do it. And I had done one of those master classes online where they you teach, you probably seen the ads go by the videos. No, no, I'm a I'm a
subscriber to master class. Yeah, I know I've seen you on there.
Yeah, I'm on the BBC Maestro um master class.
You know, you you you said you had no the thing about you though is you said you had no process, but it turns out you
really do have a process. Yeah, well, when you do something like that, you know, w I was surprised by my own answers. As I was doing the class, I'm like, oh wait, I really never kind of thought of that before. And I've always sort of distanced myself from the process. I've jokingly said, What do I know about people disappearing and murder and mayhem and all of that?
How does Harlan Coben craft plot twists that keep readers guessing?
I just make it all up, but I realized that all of it came from my life, really, every bit of it. And so it became a half memoir, half not I it's a writer's guide, but I really like to look at it more as a as a creator's. If you if you're interested in writing music, if you're interested in painting, sculpture, if you're interested in I you know, hopefully any kind of entrepreneur business, I hope.
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Chapters
8 chapters
1
How can I stop over‑thinking and just start writing?
0:00–0:30
2
Why is it never too late to become a published novelist?
0:30–1:15
3
What role does self‑doubt play in a writer’s creative process?
1:15–2:30
4
Why should I embrace a “messy first draft” and not edit as I go?
2:30–3:30
5
How does Harlan Coben craft plot twists that keep readers guessing?
3:30–4:45
6
What challenges and opportunities arise when adapting books for Netflix?
4:45–6:11
7
How did growing up in New Jersey shape Harlan Coben’s storytelling?
6:11–7:06
8
What practical habits does Harlan recommend for writers with busy lives?
7:06–33:57
Speakers
1 identifiedMore from Open Book with Anthony Scaramucci
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