120: Creating a Great Crime Novel -- Interview with John Sandford

Hey there word nerds! I am so excited to share this new episode with you.

Today I have the pleasure of speaking with author John Sandford. This, of course, is the pseudonym of the Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist John Camp and he is the author of 45 books and counting!

In case you’re curious, his writing credits include twenty-six Prey novels; four Kidd novels; nine Virgil Flowers novels; three YA novels co-authored with his wife, Michele Cook; and three standalone books, most recently Saturn Run.

In this episode John and I discuss: Why he chose to base a series around a supporting character from his Prey novels, Virgil Flowers, and how humor plays into this spin-off series. How his three series tie together by existing in the same world, and the contrast between the protagonists in each. Why thrillers with a criminal as the protagonist tend to be less popular than those with sleuths or law enforcers as the focus, and where antiheroes fit into that picture. How to create antiheroes who are compelling (even if they’re unlikeable) by focusing on their motivations and using humor. Crafting a great heist story, and why it’s important for the target of the heist to be even more reprehensible than the thieves stealing the money. Where he gets inspiration for his characters’ names, and it’s not how you would expect. Plus, his #1 tip for writers.

About the Author

John Sandford is the pseudonym of the Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist John Camp. He is the author to twenty-six Prey novels; four Kidd novels; nine Virgil Flowers novels; three YA novels co-authored with his wife, Michele Cook; and three standalone books, most recently Saturn Run.

Nine years ago, he brought Virgil Flowers, a supporting character in his Prey series, to life launched a spin-off series around this character. The result was another riveting #1 bestselling series. Over the course of the Virgil Flowers series, Sandford’s novels have achieved enormous popularity, both among fans and reviewers, and the ninth installment in the series, ESCAPE CLAUSE, does not disappoint.

For more info and complete show notes: DIYMFA.com/120