Where do you get your ideas from?
Reading a lot of non-fiction: books, the newspaper, science magazines. I also watch a lot of documentaries!
How do you know which ideas are worth following up?
You learn that by experience - some ideas don't fly, others do. You learn from the ones that worked.
How do you know which ideas fit into different mediums -
i.e.: THIS would be better as a TV Series, etc.
Books require BIG ideas. Writing a book takes me a year, so it has to be really big and expansive.
TV requires the ability to do similar-but-different stories many many times.
Movies are like short stories to me - 100-page-long short stories - so they don't have to be as huge as book ideas.
That said, some ideas are just very visual and work better for film than books. Altitude Rushworked as a short story, but for sheer visual spectacle, I think it would be a killer movie. Putting it in published short story form, however, was a good idea, because it got the story 'out there' and published, and hence made it harder for anyone to pinch.
What is your favourite book and literary genre?
Jurassic Park, by Michael Crichton. I guess my favourite genre is the thriller genre (I like to be kept on the edge of my seat), but I tend to read all kinds of genres.
What books would you recommend fans of your books to read?
Fiction:
Anything by Michael Crichton, especially JP, Eaters of the Dead, and The Great Train Robbery
Fatherland by Robert Harris.
The Silence of the Lambs by Thomas Harris.
Honour Among Thieves by Jeffrey Archer.
The Day After Tomorrow by Allan Folsom.
Clear and Present Danger by Tom Clancy
Debt of Honour by Tom Clancy
The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown.
Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption by Stephen King
The Long Walk by Stephen King
About a Boy by Nick Hornby
Non-Fiction:
Searching for Bobby Fischer by Fred Waitzkin
A Civil Action by Jonathan Harr
Rich Kids by Paul Barry
Marine by Tom Clancy
George Lucas by John Baxter
Steven Spielberg: The Unauthorized Biography by John Baxter
The Lexus and the Olive Tree by Thomas Friedman
Rocket Boys by Homer Hickam
What about least favourite? Which books have not delivered for you?
I wouldn't really like to go there, but I will say that I preferred the movie Die Hard to the book it was based on, Nothing Lasts Forever by Roderick Thorp.
Have you always been a writer?
I wasn't even much of a reader until I was 15 and was given To Kill a Mockingbird and Lord of the Flies. I didn't start writing anything of note until I was about 18. Then, when I was 19, I tried to write a screenplay, failed, and then started Contest.
Did you have second thoughts about writing while you studied?
No, I enjoyed it. It was my hobby. And then my hobby turned into a career.
Have you ever wanted to try your hand at another genre? If so, which one?
Not really. I think I may try something a little more serious later in life, but at the moment, I love writing thrillers, so that's what I'll stick with. That said, I have had an idea for a children's book...
Ever think about writing a kids' book?
Ha! I just answered this! Yes, I have. A really fast-paced kid's book.
Done any newspaper or magazine work that wasn't fiction?
Er, no. Don't really like being pinned down to reporting facts. Just doesn't work for me. I once did some columns for CLEO magazine here in Australia.
How many newspapers have your stories appeared in? How many countries?
My short stories have only been published in Australia. I really should get my agents to work on that!
More information on my short sotries can be found by clicking here.
How many different languages and countries have your books been printed in?
Gosh, it must be about 17 countries, and about 14 languages. To list some of them off the top of my head: Australia, UK, US, Germany, Italy, Holland, Czech Republic, Bulgaria, Norway, Denmark, Portugal, Spain, South Africa, India, China.
Which country gets the best sales based on population? And overall?
I've never done the math, but I think Australia would win based on sales per capita, but Holland would come a close second. That said, the UK, US and Germany are all huge markets for me, with the US ultimately the biggest.
Did you find that your friends and family were supportive while you were writing?
Yes. Absolutely. I always write in the Acnowledgements pages of my books "To anyone who knows a writer, never underestimate the power of your encouragement." One kind supportive word will obliterate one hundred critical words. But where there is only criticism, that really hurts an author.
Have you done any work that hasn't been published? If so, what kind of projects were they?
I have about seven screenplays sitting in my cupboard that are just dying to be made! As for books or short stories, no, what I have written has been published.
What is happening with the movie versions of your books?
The original option of Contest expired, so I got my rights back, ready to sell again.
As for Ice Station, I have discovered how slow the Hollywood movie-making process really is. Paramount have been great, developing the screenplay, but with a project this big, it has to go through many sets of eyes before a big decision is made. The short answer is: it's still percolating through the system and will hopefully come out within four years. (As a point of reference, The Fugitive took five years just to come up with a script!)
What are your favourite movies?
A-Grade:
Die Hard
Searching for Bobby Fischer
Schindler's List
Aliens
Predator
Blade Runner
About a Boy
Back to the Future
Jaws
Raiders of the Lost Ark
Star Wars
The Empire Strikes Back
Return of the Jedi
B-Grade:
Dog Soldiers
Deep Blue Sea
Blue Crush
Independent:
Tigerland
Being John Malkovich
How about actors and actresses; who do you look out for in particular?
I look for presence. The ability to command the screen. Either you have it or you don't. Jennifer Garner in Catch Me If You Can was someone who just stole the screen (not easy when you're onscreen with Leonardo di Caprio).
I'm a fan of Bruce Willis, Keanu Reeves (who both have had just a great variety of movie choices), Harrison Ford's early work, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Reese Witherspoon, and lately, Jennifer Garner.
And Directors? Do you follow crew as well as cast?
Oh yeah. I love John McTiernan's stuff; Jan de Bont's camera movement; Steven Spielberg of course (he's the master); recently, I've liked John Stockwell's Blue Crush and Crazy/Beautiful, and Rob Cohen's actioners.
How do you research your books - in particular, how do you get information on weaponry and the military?
I read a lot of non-fiction. Tom Clancy's non-fiction military library is awesome, as are his interview books like Every Man a Tiger. I think he's been extraordinarily generous giving readers and other authors an insight into the miltary.
I also have many books on the various armed forces of the world, plus the Marine Corps'Guidebook for Marines. I also have the Jane's 'Recognition' books on guns, planes and vehicles. They give you specs and much-needed authentic information.
And of course, now that my books have spread around the world, I have met people from the various armed forces of Australia and the US, plus (wait for it) people who work for gun manufacturers. These people show me new stuff as well as answering my many, many questions.
What about the Internet? Do you use it for research?
Increasingly I do. But I am very careful with the Net - you have to make sure that the site you are visiting is legit. After all, what seems to be information could be someone's work of fiction. That's why I prefer published books - it just makes me feel safer about the information in them. That said, the Net can move far faster than publishing, and so is good for certain things: for example, I did some missile research for Scarecrow on the Internet.
How much license do you take with reality in your books?
A lot! To me, my books are fiction - a wild blend of fiction mixed in with real facts. Hopefully, most people won't be able to tell what is real and what is not. As a fiction author, that's my job.
How does one get published? And can I send my manuscript to you?
There's a whole book in that first question! The best way to answer it is to say this: it's a different road for everyone. Most people get an agent (which is itself a quest!), but others get discovered by writing magazine pieces or newspaper columns or, yes, sometimes they just send their manuscript to a publisher who reads it and likes it. I self-published Contest to get noticed by a publisher - which is probably one of the more roundabout ways of getting published, but it's one way.
And no, I'd prefer it if readers didn't send their manuscripts to me. I get people emailing me all the time, asking if they can send me a chapter or a synopsis or the whole book, and I always politely decline. The reason is this: I come up with new story ideas all the time, and I'd hate for anyone to think I took an idea from their unpublished work (which they sent to me); so I just have a blanket rule - I don't read any of the pieces which get sent to me. I'm sorry, but I have to do it.
I am writing a book, but just can't seem to motivate myself to do it. What should I do?
To me, motivation comes from your premise. If you are not motivated by the premise of your book, then how will any reader be excited by it? Writing a book, though, is a long project, usually taking at least a year, so you have to make sure, at the very beginning, that the idea behind your book has enough petrol in it to go the distance.
That said, trust yourself, and your idea. Keep at it. If everyone could do it, everyone would be doing it. Writing a book is hard, but when it's done, it is so rewarding.
Where does your motivation come from whenever you're 'down'?
I get out of the house - go to the library or see a movie. Or I pull out my favourite books and remind myself what it is I love about reading. That generally gets me going again.
As I said above, though, I make sure that I am excited about my premise to begin with. If you're excited about your story, that tackles most of the motivational issue.
As an author, do you have to abide by the laws of grammar?
Never! My views on grammar are clear: they exist to serve my story, not the other way around. And if they don't help me, then I throw them out the window!!
What did you think of Episode I: The Phantom Menace?
Didn't think it was as good as the original trilogy. Great effects, but it was somehow... I don't know, hollow.
And Episode 2?
I liked it even less. It didn't grab me on an emotional level, and I felt the story was very similar to Episode I. Which is such a shame, because a little tinkering with the script would have made it sensational.
Has LucasFilm approached you yet to write a spin-off series?
Nope. I'd write Episode III for them, but not a spin-off book. I'd prefer to write my own books, in my own created universe.
If not a prequel, would you be interested in writing a Star Wars Universe Novel?
Geez, I just answered another question in the previous question. See above.
Do you use music to set the tone while you write?
Not really. Most days, I just have the radio on (Nova 96.9 in Sydney).
What kind of music do you listen to when you're not writing?
Bit of everything, really. And I truly mean that! I usually buy 'Various Artists' CDs, so I can get a wide variety of songs. The last sole artist CD I bought was Avril Lavigne's Let Go.
As for what I like: anything with a strong beat, from the old Huey Lewis songs of the 80s, to Jewel and U2 and Robbie Williams today, I like Madonna's new stuff and old stuff (but not the middle-period stuff).
Lately I've been going to the gym more, doing an exercise regime called 'Pump'. It involves doing weights to music, so I've been listening to more dance music: dance versions of The Doors 'Light My Fire' and old songs like 'Heaven' and 'Don't You Want Me Baby'!!
Actually, one of my favourite pieces of music is an orchestral-violin version of The Doors song 'Riders on the Storm' by a violinist named Kennedy.
Do you play any kind of organized sport?
I play golf regularly, off a handicap of 10. I also play touch football in a competition in Northern Sydney, and every now and then, with some friends, I play indoor cricket.
What hobbies, outside of your career choices, do you pursue?
I love watching movies - especially listening to the director's commentaries on DVDs that I love. Ridley Scott's commentaries are awesome, as are John McTiernan's and Michael Bay's.
Do you collect anything?
I collect two things: movie memorabilia and books.
Last year, for my birthday, I was given a full-size Jango Fett helmet! (Yes, I know, I didn't like Episode II that much, but I love Boba and Jango Fett!). I particularly like vehicles from movies, like spaceships (from the Star Wars movies, the little attackers from Independence Day) and the DeLorean from Back to the Future. Standing on my desk right now are the Terminator,RoboCop and Buzz Lightyear.
As for books, I love to go into second-hand bookstores and find old hardbacks (or overseas editions) of my favourite books. I love the US hardback covers of Jurassic Park and The Lost World, for example. I also have an old illustrated edition of Crichton's Eaters of the Dead, one of my favourite novels. I sometimes even buy books just for their production value: Underworldby Don Delillo was beautifully packaged, so I bought it just because it was an example of top-shelf publishing.
Favourite Cartoon Character?
Homer Simpson.
Favourite Comic Strip?
Garfield.
What about food habits? Do they change when you're writing?
I'm very bad in that I tend to write through lunch! I eat anything that can be cooked in a few minutes - toast is a staple! Mainly salad sandwiches.
But when writing, good coffee is a must. I have a thermos-type mug for my coffee - keeps it warmer for longer. I'm also kinda susceptible to chocolate of any variety.
Do you have any eccentric needs when it comes to your writing environment?
Er, nothing like that. I just like to be surrounded by inspiration: my movie posters, my bookshelf and the Jango helmet!
Are there any special websites that you frequent?
Google would be the website I go to most often. Apart from news sites, the only other two biggies would be Amazon.com and The Internet Movie Database (imdb.com), the best movie site that I know of on the Net.
What is your favourite Television show?
I proffer a few TV shows as my favourites: Buffy: The Vampire Slayer, CSI, and Survivor.
Buffy is just superior, innovative television-making. The musical episode was incredible, as was the one where every character lost their voice and went for the whole episode unable to speak. I got those two episodes on DVD and watch them over and over. Joss Whedon, the creator of Buffy, is a very impressive storyteller.
CSI gives me plot, plot, plot. I love the way it doesn't bother 'going home' with the characters. It just gives you a crime and solves it, leading you on a twisting, turning ride in the process.
As for Survivor: for me, it's the original and the best reality show. And every season just gets better and better. The series in the Amazon rainforest was just great.
Any pets?
Not at the moment. But I love my parent's golden retriever named Cleo. She's gorgeous.
Any siblings?
One brother, Stephen (who wrote Ninety East Ridge).
Do you have a dream car in mind? Is it in your garage, too?
A DeLorean. And, yes, I do!
Is there anybody you would most like to meet?
Everybody answers this question by saying Mandela, Clinton and Arafat. I'd like to meet (or to have met) my creative inspirations: Michael Crichton, Steven Spielberg, George Lucas and/or Joss Whedon.
Are you often confused with someone famous apart from yourself?
Not really. Although sometimes people mistake my brother for me.
Do you have any choice words to say in regards to the Media?
Dealing with the media can be scary. You have to watch your words very very carefully, because everything you say can be quoted. That said, I've had largely pleasant dealings with the media. Often the journalists I meet are either writing or have written books themselves - apart from the fact that they also write for a living - so we have something in common to start with.
My overall philosophy: I just try to be myself. It's too hard to be something or someone you are not.
What single thing has impacted your life the most?
Seeing Contest get rejected by every major publisher in Sydney. It galvanised me, made me more determined than ever to get published.
What single thing has been said to you that you'll never forget?
"Never let the sun go down on an argument." My mum told me that.
"You are not an aspiring writer. You are a writer." Jeff Arch, the writer of Sleepless in Seattletold me that.
"These are crazy people." Tom Clancy, talking on CNN, immediately after September 11, commenting on the similarity between the events of that day and his book, Debt of Honour, in which a man flies a 747 into the Capitol Building.
What is your single best accomplishment?
I think it's still to come.
If you could have any one gadget in the world, fictional or real (from movies, etc), what would it be?
Astroboy's boots or Boba Fett's rocket backpack.
What single (real) gadget do you actually have and use?
I have a Sony Clie (it's like a Palm Pilot). It's my second brain. If I didn't have it, I'd forget all manner of appointments. I'm looking to get one of those remote controls to unlock my front door, though, and my coffee machine is pretty cool...
What about gifts? What's the most innovative you have received?
Jango.
And what about the most, uh, bizarre gift?
My brother, Stephen, once gave me a full-size glass head. At first, I had no idea what you would use it for (unless you wanted to display sunglasses in a shop window), but then a few years later, I received the famous Jango Fett helmet and - voila! - put Jango on the glass head and it was perfect fit!
On violence, what do you think about the preconception that entertainment spawns criminals and violent offenders?
I mentioned the Tom Clancy quote earlier. Crazy people will do crazy things. You can't stop them. It doesn't mean that the rest of us can't enjoy the thrill of a well-made or well-told story.
What has been your biggest hurdle during your writing career?
Getting inside. The publishing industry is a tough one to get into, but once I was in, I was away.
How do you prepare for public appearances?
If I'm going on TV or radio to promote a new book, I will have prepared a 25-word summary of the book - because you have to be brief on those occasions, and when you have to be brief, it's best to be prepared.
If I'm giving a speech, I write it a few days in advance, and go through it once or twice. If I'm going to an event on, say, literacy, I'll just gather my thoughts on the topic before I go, so that if I'm asked a question on it, I'll be vaguely ready. For a book signing, I just dress smartly and grab a pen!
The thing is, after you do enough public appearances, you sort of get used to it.
What kinds of audiences have you spoken to, and on what subjects?
I've spoken to many audiences over the last few years. A group of influential citizens in Cape Town, South Africa, a dining room full of booksellers in Birmingham, England, and a mini-stadium filled with school students at Homebush here in Australia, not to mention numerous libraries around Australia!
Often I'll talk about writing and the benefits of reading, my own books and my own path to getting published (I spoke about this once for the Victorian Writers Centre). The big stadium event was for high school students and was on the topic of leadership (it was called The National Young Leaders Day and is held every year).
Has any single appearance been the most fulfilling, or most enjoyable?
That last one, The National Young Leaders Day was amazing. I was just as inspired as the kids were - the other speakers there were awesome.
How do you deal with the people who don't like your books, and tell you as much?
At first, it was hard (hey, no-one likes to be disliked), but I've developed a thick skin and a philosophy of: ‘you can't please everyone, and it's foolish to try.' If I can please a majority of people, then I'm happy. When you do something as public as writing a novel, your success or failure is very visible - and there will always be people who don't like your work and say so. You just have to accept that.
But I have also discovered something equally important: there are people out there who really were never prepared to like my books at all. You have to spot those people and realise that they have their own agenda, their own axe to grind, and it really doesn't have anything to do with you. But this is a lesson I had to learn. I didn't just know it.
When it comes to fictitious technology from your books, are you more inclined to: not tell peopleanything, convince them it's real, or tell the truth?
I'd prefer real technology. But where reality doesn't provide me with a good enough object, I'm happy to make something up!
Writing, for you, is obviously enjoyable. Which part do you look forward to the most?
Finishing a book. There's no feeling like writing that last chapter, that last page, that last line, that last word. You've been working on this project for so long, and suddenly the end is in sight. It's such a rewarding feeling.
There's a rumour about you making a movie, can I be an extra or stunt person?
I'd like to make a movie (and I have the script for it), but I think I'll have to write a new book first. Time has got away from me, and at this stage in my career, the books come first. Yes, you can be an extra.
Can I make coffee for everybody on-set instead?
If you prefer.
How do I get in contact with you?
Email through this website.
Is there any way I can be selected to compete in the next Presidian?
No. You have to be spotted by some alien beings for that to happen!
Have you ever thought of merchandising? I think a Contest watch would be killer!
I love the idea of computer game versions of my books - I think the structure of the books themselves lends them to the 'level'-structure of a computer game.
As for merchandising, I'd love to see action figures based on my books! As a kid, I was a huge fan of the Star Wars action figures, and to have some based on my own books would be very cool. And now that I think of it, there are a multitude of characters and vehicles that you could make from my books: Schofield and Mother and William Race, and the cats and caimans fromTemple, the aliens from Contest, not to mention all the vehicles (like the Silhouette or the hovercrafts from Ice Station, or the boats and planes from Temple and Area 7).
The sky is the limit.
As an author, how much control do you have over:
- The final copy
I take a keen interest in the formatting of my books. With all the lists and diagrams, I like to make sure that they have been reproduced correctly. Since I often use those diagrams and lists for twist, it is crucial that they be done right, so I keep a close eye on them.
- The front cover
This is more of a collaborative thing - while I don't have cover approval, with my Australian and UK publishers, cover design is something we talk about as a group. In the end, though, the decision is my publisher's. That said, in the US, they don't give me any say.
- The blurb
I write my own blurbs (except for the US paperback editions of my books - they get their own guy to do it, and he comes up with very good blurbs). Obviously, I did the blurb for the self-published version of Contest, but when it came time for Ice Station to be released, I just thought about it and drafted my own blurb and it was used. I like to think that, as the author, I know the story best, but I also know that some authors can't stand condensing their 140,000-word novel into a 150-word summary!
I just think of it as drafting a movie poster and go from there (does anyone remember the original poster for Die Hard, that was my favourite: 'High above the city of LA, a team of terrorists has take over a building and declared war... ')
- The diagrams
I do them myself. I also deliberately try not to make them too detailed. They are there only as a reading aid. I absolutely do not want to take the 'imagining' of the book from the reader. I want readers to picture Wilkes Ice Station or Area 7 for themselves, I just try to help them out with the basic layout.
That said, I am most proud of the diagrams in Area 7. So far as I know, they are the only diagrams in a novel that 'evolved' with the story - as the underground facility floods, the diagram changes with it!
- The cover style (trade, hardback, etc)
That's a publishing decision, made by the publisher in whichever country I am being published. Hardbacks in the US and Italy, trade paperbacks in Holland.
In Australia, Ice Station was originally slated to be released straight-to-paperback, but when it got such good buzz in Pan Macmillan's offices, they decided to release it big-time as trade paperback (this was when trade paperbacks were a new thing).
- The advertising coverage
Publishing decision. Although I do help with the content - again, it's like designing a movie poster!
How much time per week, on average, do you spend working on your Golf Handicap?
8 hours.
How much time per week, on average, do you spend working? Do you have a set routine/writing hours? Do you treat it as a full time job?
Probably about 30 hours a week. I always like to do 4 good days' worth of writing a week. I used to write when it suited me, but now I tend to write between Monday and Friday - this allows me to catch up with my friends on the weekends.
I treat it as a career, but not a job. I have far too much fun doing it to treat it as a job! And if I wake up and I'm not in the mood to write, I won't. If it were a job, I'd have to make myself write, and I never ever do that!
Do you write your books as though you wish you were having the adventures of the hero?
Absolutely. I think that's also why people read them, to go on an adventure. Some people read to escape, I write to escape.
Have you ever had an adventure that could appear in one of your books?
Hiking up to the base of Mount Everest was an adventure - and will certainly appear in something soon!
Which scene out of all of your books are you most proud of?
There's a huge scene in Scarecrow, which I can't tell you about till it comes out, that I am veryvery proud of.
Apart from that, I love the scene at the end of Temple, where William Race is falling to earth inside a tank and he has to disarm the mother of all nuclear bombs. You don't write scenes like that everyday, and it took a long time to figure it out. Actually, for that matter, the whole ofTemple took a lot of thinking. I am very proud of the entire structure of that book. Sometimes I think about it and can't believe I managed it!
Are you ever going to Direct a Television commercial for one of your books? Maybe with some explosions?
I'm thinking of doing exactly that for Scarecrow!
Which authors have influenced your writing most?
Michael Crichton - for the pace, the technology, and the sheer joy of going on a roller-coaster ride.
And Tom Clancy - for the geopolitics. I've loved the international intrigue of his books.
I like to think my books have the geopolitical complexity of Tom Clancy and the wonderful pace of Michael Crichton. They are the masters.
Are any of your characters based on people you know?
No. Sometimes I will use the facial features of friends on my characters (William Race's birthmark under his left eye is exactly the same as a birthmark my friend, Simon Kozlina, has!)
Do you enjoy killing likeable characters off?
No. But it was necessary for the story in each case.
But this is what a thriller is all about - wondering if the hero will survive. If minor characters that you love get killed, who's to say if the hero won't die as well? I also think this is what makes my books different: I make the tough calls.
And we've all seen so many movies, that we tend to know intuitively who will come out at the end and who will be eaten by the dinosaurs, so to speak! I try to overturn those assumptions.
How do you decide on the book title? When do you decide? (First, last?)
Contest was always the title of that book.
Ice Station came well after the book was finished (it was called Starfighter once, then South Pole, and I wanted Twelve Swordsmen at one point, as a reference to the Marines' dress-uniform swords - I may still use that title, I like it!).
Temple was always the title.
Area 7 came about halfway through writing that book. Its working title was POTUS, standing for President of the United States.
Scarecrow came about halfway through as well. Its working title was The Most Wanted Man in the World, but I decided that that was a little too long and static.
Which is the single most applicable piece of advice that you have received from a peer?
I once saw a poet say that he had written a thriller... for the money. I took that as advice... not to write in a genre that I don't love. He didn't seem to love thrillers as I do, and I reckon readers saw that in his 'thriller'. I don't write poetry because I know hard-core poetry readers will spot my weaknesses straight away.
Where do your characters' personalities come from?
Who knows! Schofield was always supposed to be a modern-day super hero. Mother's personality came in a flash in the space of 30 seconds.
I tend to think in terms of archetypes - so my characters' personalities come from the kind of person I want them to be: a hero, a mentor, a villain, a devious shapeshifter.
Do you ever get emotional over your own writing - apart from 'excited'?
Not really. Except for one scene I wrote recently.
We all know about your 'big animal' plot device, but why do you usually have a child or innocent civilian, too? Why do they keep surviving?
The presence of children in my stories is very deliberate: they soften the story. A child's innocence brings out the goodness in my heroes; because a true hero won't leave a kid behind, even if all good sense tells him to save himself.
That said, the only books of mine not to feature a child in the centre of the action, Temple and now Scarecrow, are to me, the 'hardest' of all my books.
Why do cover designs vary from country to country? Some are really bad!
Different publishers feel that their markets will respond to different covers. US covers tend to have more text on them, more 'blurbs' from other authors or quotes from good reviews. UK covers tend to be more spartan, 'cleaner', more refined. Australian covers fall somewhere in between. While in Europe and in other countries, they have design theories of their own. I love the Italian edition of Temple, called Tempio.
Will we ever see another book with the same background as Contest? I.e.: the aliens/sci-fi.
Potentially, but I don't think so. If I go that way again, it'll be more like Ice Station, with the premise centering on the possibility of alien life, not actual aliens. But then, never say never.
One of my recent screenplays is total sci-fi, with spaceships and planets and creatures, so I might leave my sci-fi dreams to the movie world.
Do you do copious amounts of planning?
Yes. I plot out the major twists in my books from the start. I give myself a bit of leeway for changes or digressions, but largely, I plan it out in great detail. It usually creates piles and piles of paper on my desk! (But since I use different coloured paper for different projects, it's okay, I can tell which notes belongs to which project!)
What kind of information goes into outlining a book? Do you have a checklist?
You plan out the story, who is going to populate it (the characters), and what is going to drive it along (often a villain kicks off a story: Die Hard, Area 7; but sometimes it is an event, like the discovery of a valuable object: Ice Station, Temple).
I do compile my notes into a master list, yes. That page then becomes the crucial document. I usually photocopy it and give it to a friend to keep for safekeeping.
I hear you made a cameo appearance in your brother's book - can you tell us about it?
I did, yes! By then I was a famous film director: Stephen's book was set in the near future, so I was very flattered. He didn't tell me that he was going to do it, so when I read the book, I got a very pleasant surprise!
Do any of your other family members appear in any of Stephens or your books?
Er, no.
You say you have an 'ideas drawer' where all your great concepts for stories go. When it comes time to write a book - do you just have a lucky dip? Or do you prefer to throw darts?
My ideas drawer is the key to my existence. I often just pull it open and see what's in there. No, no lucky dip or dart throwing. Just a calm perusal that ends with inspiration.
Some of your scenes seem similar to scenes in action movies - is this ever intentional?
I actually try to make them as different from the movies (that I know) as I can. It can be hard because there have been so many action movies in recent years, using so many common objects - car chases, fights on buildings, aerial stunts - but you have to try to be new and innovative.
Funny, I have found my own scenes replicated in other spheres. My hovercraft chase in Ice Station was totally new... until James Bond did it in Die Another Day a few years later. The big river chase in Temple hasn't been replicated, so far as I know.
Mind you, I do like to (in nearly all my books) pay homage to Raiders of the Lost Ark, and the wonderful scene in it where Indiana Jones goes under the truck. In Ice Station, Schofield went under a hovercraft; in Temple, William Race went under a speeding boat. Wait for Scarecrow, where Schofield might do it with a...
What made you want to be a writer in the first place?
The thrillers I was reading were becoming too predictable. I was starting to 'see' their structure, where they were going. I felt they could be faster, more out-of-control, and more unpredictable. So I decided to write my own.
Stephen King said recently that at some stage in their career every author looks at the books they are reading as says, 'I can do better than that.' I did exactly that.
Like Clancy and other authors, would you allow a spin-off series not written by you, but based on your work?
Not sure about that. I admire what Tom Clancy has done in the computer game world, but the spin-offs aren't my cup of tea. I kinda think they devalue an author's name. James Patterson does them, too, and they seem to work very well for him.
Would you ever consider writing a book with another author? If so, who would you like to co-author with?
Thing is, I don't think anyone would want to write with me! When it comes to writing, I'm a bit of a control freak, and I don't think I'd be fun to write with.
Have you ever appeared in one of your own books? Is Staff-Sergeant Buck Riley actually you in disguise?
Actually, I am a lot like William Race, both in appearance and manner! I wear a lot of caps, including a New York Yankees cap.
Contest has been re-written 3 times. Is there any chance of a Contest Special First Original Edition release?
Probably not. You'll just have to find it in a second-hand store in Sydney.
Do you ever get stopped in the street for an autograph?
I do get spotted from time to time here in Australia, but no, I've never been stopped for an autograph
Does your hand ever go numb from book signings?
Your wrist can get tired, but if you have a good signing technique, you'll be fine. (There are worse ways to get a repetitive stress injury!)
Is the autograph you give fans the same one you sign cheques with?
No. I write my full name when I sign someone's book, but my cheque signature is an abbreviation
You say that your books are your business cards. Doesn't that make them tough to carry in your wallet?
Ha Ha.
Who translates your novels into other languages?
Each publisher has their own freelance translators that they work with. Choosing a translator is very important, because you want someone who will convey the tone of your prose as well as just the words. My choice of grammar is very casual and fast, so I'd want a translator who appreciates that. Likewise, the guy who translates Umberto Eco would want to have an awesome vocabulary!
How do you know they're getting it right?
You just cross your fingers and hope... and you assume that the English-speaking person who read my book in English and bought the publishing rights is checking that the story is being reproduced faithfully.
Apart from writing, is there any skill you wish you had? Like an affinity for drawing or carpentry?
I wish I could do physics intuitively. My physics and chemistry brain is very mechanical. I wish I could just do it easily, but I can't.
I also wish I could play the piano (or any musical instrument for that matter).
Are you trained in a martial art?
I've done some karate.
What is the most common misconception about you?
That I'm not prepared to change my mind. I can be outspoken with my opinions, but I am always ready to be persuaded to another point of view.
How do you choose topics for your Blog section?
I just try to think about what's happening in my life and what is interesting me at the time!
Ever had a heckler? What happened?
Once a guy stood up during a speech I was giving and said 'Who gives a f*ck... ' and walked out to go to the toilet. He was rather drunk, and it wasn't a book-reading audience. I believe he was accosted in the toilet afterwards by irate members of the audience who didn't appreciate his rudeness.
Can I contact you? Will you reply?
You can email through the  Contact Us page, but replying has become harder and harder, what with the amount of emails coming through these days. I promise that I read all emails that come through the site, but I can't reply to all of them anymore. I wish I could, but if I did, I wouldn't have time to write any more books - and I think my fans would prefer that I did that!
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