Back to top.   

QUESTIONS FROM READERS

Tricia from Davie, FL: Do you usually know the ending of a book before you write it? How do you know when to end a book? How do you choose your characters' names? What genre do you prefer to read, and is there a book that you've read that has either influenced or stayed with you?

Brett Battles: First, thanks for the questions! Let me take them in order.

Do I know the end before I write a book? The answer is both yes and no. I know, in rough terms, what's going to happen and who it's going to happen to, but I often don't know the details until I actually get there. And I will tell you, I have started a book in which I had an ending in mind that completely changed before I finished it.

As for my character names, sometimes one just comes to me and stays. Such was the case with both Jonathan Quinn and with Orlando in THE CLEANER. Sometimes I pick surnames and first names randomly from things I read, like the newspaper or a magazine. I'll also, on occasion, blend the names of people I know. When it comes to names from cultures I'm not particularly familiar with, I'll do a little more research and pick something that would be appropriate.

And, lastly, to your question on reading a book that has stuck with me. I read several different genres. My tastes run from thrillers to literary to science fiction and to most things in between. I'm a fan of good stories told well, so I don't care much which direction they come from. There are several books that have stayed with me over the years, so do you mind if I mention a few instead of just one? THE HEART OF THE MATTER by Graham Greene, THE STAND by Stephen King, THE REMAINS OF THE DAY by Kazuo Ishiguro, BANGKOK 8 by John Burdett, and most recently, AFTER DARK by Haruki Murakami. There are actually more, but I'd better stop there or this will go on for several more paragraphs!

Again, thank you for the questions. They are always appreciated.

© Copyright 1996-2008, Bookreporter.com. All rights reserved.

Back to top.