Interview with
Stephen Coonts
Interviewed by Jenna Glatzer
Stephen broke onto the action adventure scene in 1986 with his national
bestseller, Flight of the Intruder, hailed as one of the best novels ever
written about flying and the camaraderie of men at war.
A veteran naval aviator who flew the A-6 Intruder during the Vietnam War,
Steve has followed his debut smash with seven more novels, six featuring his
hero, Jake Grafton, each full of the riveting action and page-turning suspense
that has gained him a legion of loyal fans.
How did you know you were a writer?
I am still trying to decide. Writing--the telling of stories--is a craft, like any other, and can be learned. I
still am working on the craft.
Your first novel, FLIGHT OF THE INTRUDER, took years to complete and was
rejected by 34 publishers before winding up on the New York Times bestseller
list for 28 weeks in 1986. How did you manage to hold onto hope in the face of so much rejection?
I never thought the book would be published, so the rejections didn't worry me too much. What amazed me
was the acceptance of the book by a publisher.
Books and films dealing with war themes are often criticized for their
deviations from reality. How did you achieve authenticity?
Research, and asking questions of people who know more than I do. But this type of criticism is a bit foolish;
very little action-adventure is realistic. Bruce Lee and Arnold Swartzenneggar really don't kill all those
people.
When you sold the film rights, did you have any input about how the
movie was written, shot, cast, etc.?
None whatsoever.
Writers are often asked if their leading characters are really versions
of themselves. Although you say Jake is representative of Everyman in that
situation, you say that a friend of yours suggested that perhaps your main
character was the man you wanted to be. Can you explain this?
I think most beginning writers put a lot of themselves into their characters--which is about the only way to get
the character to walk, talk, and sound like a real person. When you have a little more craft you can
divorce yourself from the characters, but not at first.
The Naval Institute Press (publishers of your first novel) turned down
your second, FINAL FLIGHT, because the director underestimated your ability to write
anything other than "guys in cockpits or on steel ships." Tell us what you did after receiving this blow to your ego.
I didn't write anything for three months, then I got angry. I had written one good book and thought I could
do another, and I thought the director just flat wrong. So I set out to prove it.
(Editor's note: And he did. He signed a contract with Doubleday
guaranteeing him one million dollars for the book. It was published and
sold beautifully.)
How would you respond to a writer who says s/he doesn't have time to
read?
You learn the craft by reading. If you don't have time to learn the craft, you are doomed before you start and had better find another
past-time.
Where should a beginning writer start to learn the craft
of writing? Can you weigh the value of courses and "how-to" books versus independently
studying the works of successful authors?
Start in the library. Read good books in the genre in which you wish to write. Learn how it is done. Then go
home and practice. Compare your tale to the work of an established published writer. Then redo your stuff,
over and over, until you see how the thing is done.
How do you approach a new novel? Extensive outlining,
stream-of-consciousness, etc.?
I have to have a climax figured out before I can start, but much of the twists and turns are made up as I go
along. A novel is a journey to a known destination. There are a myriad of ways to get there--the trick for
the author is to pick a path that will get him to the destination he has chosen.
How important is the skill of marketing oneself to the business of
being a writer?
Not very important. The story must sell itself. All the hype in the world doesn't help if the story is poorly written or just a poor story.
What's one thing you wish you'd learned earlier about the publishing
business?
That publishing is merely the art of turning ink and paper into money. That is the basic reality, and
everything else builds on that fundamental fact.
Visit the Tips for Writers section on Stephen's website: www.coonts.com
