Always Take Notes #192: Harlan Coben, novelist
Aug 6, 2024
Harlan Coben, bestselling thriller novelist behind Myron Bolitar and multiple Netflix adaptations. He talks about his latest book Think Twice, juggling TV collaborations and writing routines, the origins and aging of Myron, and why suburban secrets make great crime fodder.
01:02:59
Write Through The First-Draft Voice
- Give yourself permission to produce a bad first draft and keep moving forward.
- You can always fix bad pages; you cannot fix no pages, so silence the inner critic and write.
Violence Lurking Behind Suburbia
- Growing up near true violent rumours — a mafioso with a furnace and a Nike missile base — taught Coben that darkness sits beside suburbia.
- He uses that contrast to mix humor and real life with darker plot elements.
First Novel Was A Necessary Failure
- Coben wrote a terrible first novel at Amherst after summers guiding tourists in Spain and called it a formative 'virus'.
- That early failure taught him to write what he loves: immersive, page-turning novels.
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Intro
00:00 • 2min
Overview of Think Twice premise
02:05 • 2min
Myron as wish fulfillment and tension
03:36 • 2min
Myron's development and aging
05:28 • 2min
Why Myron is a sports agent
07:10 • 1min
Series books vs standalones
08:30 • 1min
Balancing writing with TV commitments
09:35 • 2min
Streak writing and drafting process
11:28 • 1min
Early life and late start as writer
12:40 • 1min
Suburbia's dark underbelly
13:57 • 2min
Amherst peers: Dan Brown and David Foster Wallace
15:56 • 2min
Costa del Sol summer and first novel attempt
18:15 • 2min
Getting published: Play Dead story
20:03 • 3min
Value of early failures
23:07 • 2min
Plotting method and twists
25:00 • 3min
Craft: making scenes do multiple jobs
28:00 • 3min
Ad break
30:36 • 52sec
Writing locations and nomadic habits
31:28 • 2min
Coping with success and maintaining focus
33:43 • 2min
Money, family support and career break
36:00 • 2min
Contracts, royalties and publishing realities
37:41 • 2min
From Hollywood detachment to Netflix collaboration
39:29 • 4min
Adapting novels for TV: accept differences
43:27 • 2min
French success and Tell No One film
45:26 • 4min
Relations with literary world and envy
49:00 • 3min
What still drives him
51:34 • 4min
Outro
56:00 • 5min
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The Woods
Harlan Coben
Twenty years ago, four teenagers vanished in the woods at summer camp; two were found murdered, and the others, including Paul Copeland's sister, were never seen again.
Now a widowed prosecutor raising his daughter alone, Paul faces upheaval when a homicide victim with ties to that night emerges, forcing him to revisit his first love, family abandonments, and hidden parental secrets amid a high-stakes rape trial.
The story unravels through twists involving journals, false identities, and revelations that challenge everything Paul thought he knew.
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Gone for Good?
Mark Elsden
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Stay Close
Harlan Coben
Stay Close follows three interconnected characters—Megan, a suburban soccer mom hiding a wild past; Ray, a former talented documentary photographer now working as a paparazzo; and Detective Broome, obsessed with solving a cold case from seventeen years ago.
When another man goes missing under similar circumstances, their lives collide as the detective's investigation forces Megan to confront her former identity and the secrets she has buried.
The novel explores themes of regret, temptation, and the inescapable nature of the past, examining how the line between different lives can be as thin as a heartbeat.
#3351
• Mentioned in 14 episodes
The Strangers
Echo Eshin
#4529
• Mentioned in 11 episodes
Think twice
harnessing the power of counterintuition
Michael J. Mauboussin
#20026
• Mentioned in 3 episodes
The Innocent
Gabriele D'Annunzio
#23675
• Mentioned in 2 episodes
Tell no one
Harlan Coben
The novel follows Dr. David Beck, whose wife Elizabeth was abducted and murdered at Lake Charmaine eight years ago.
Despite the killer being caught and prosecuted, David never fully recovers from the loss.
On the eighth anniversary of Elizabeth's death, two unidentified bodies are found at the lake, and David receives a mysterious email containing a phrase only he and Elizabeth knew.
This sets off a chain of events as David searches for proof that Elizabeth might still be alive, while being hunted by various adversaries and uncovering dark secrets and twists along the way.
#317
• Mentioned in 84 episodes
Infinite jest
wit and humor in Italian Renaissance art
Paul Barolsky
In this book, Paul Barolsky examines the role of wit and humor in Italian Renaissance art, providing insights into the artistic and cultural context of the period.
The work delves into how artists of the Renaissance used humor and wit in their creations, reflecting the broader cultural and social attitudes of the time.
#42949
Always Take Notes
Advice From Some Of The World’s Greatest Writers
Simon Akam
Rachel Lloyd
#33610
• Mentioned in 2 episodes
You're Missing
Bruce Springsteen
#96460
Shelter
Lloyd Kahn
#2316
• Mentioned in 19 episodes
Hold Me Tight
Seven Conversations for a Lifetime of Love
Sue Johnson
In 'Hold Me Tight,' Dr. Sue Johnson presents a revolutionary approach to understanding and enhancing romantic relationships.
The book is grounded in attachment theory and EFT, emphasizing the importance of emotional connection and dependency in adult relationships.
It outlines seven crucial conversations that couples can have to recognize and address negative patterns, understand deeper feelings, and reestablish a secure emotional bond.
The book includes practical exercises, real-life case studies, and sage advice to help couples nurture, protect, and grow their relationships.
#50792
Miracle Cure
William Rosen
#88562
Play dead
Francine J. Harris
Francine J. Harris's "Play Dead" is a collection of poems that delve into complex themes of trauma, identity, and the lingering effects of violence.
Harris's work is characterized by its unflinching portrayal of difficult subjects, often exploring the emotional and psychological aftermath of events rather than explicitly detailing the events themselves.
The poems utilize vivid imagery and powerful language to evoke a sense of unease and tension, leaving the reader to grapple with the implications of the unspoken.
Her use of repetition and rhythm creates a hypnotic effect, drawing the reader deeper into the emotional landscape of the poems.
The collection is a testament to the power of poetry to confront difficult truths and offer a space for reflection and understanding.
#10506
• Mentioned in 5 episodes
Fool Me Once
Harlan Coben
In 'Fool Me Once', Harlan Coben tells the story of Maya Stern Burkett, a former special operations pilot haunted by the violent deaths of her husband Joe and her sister Claire.
After witnessing her husband's murder, Maya is shocked to see him on her nanny cam playing with their two-year-old daughter.
This discovery sets off a chain of events as Maya delves into a twisted story of power, corruption, and murder.
She uncovers deep secrets and deceit in her own past and her husband's family, leading to a shocking and unexpected conclusion.
The novel is filled with Coben's trademark edge-of-your-seat suspense and gut-wrenching emotion, keeping readers engaged until the very end.
Simon and Rachel speak to the novelist Harlan Coben. Harlan's suspense novels are published in 46 languages and have been number-one bestsellers in more than a dozen countries, with 80 million books in print worldwide. His Myron Bolitar series, centred on a basketball player turned agent, has earned the Edgar, Shamus and Anthony Awards. Several of his books have been developed into Netflix original series, including "Fool Me Once", "The Stranger", "The Innocent", "Gone for Good", "The Woods", "Stay Close" and "Hold Tight". "Shelter" was also adapted into an Amazon Prime series. We spoke to Harlan about his prolific career as a thriller writer, his extensive collaboration with Netflix, and his latest novel, "Think Twice".
“Always Take Notes: Advice From Some Of The World’s Greatest Writers” - a book drawing on our podcast interviews - is published by Ithaka Press. You can order it via Amazon, Bookshop.org, Hatchards or Waterstones.
You can find us online at alwaystakenotes.com, on Twitter @takenotesalways and on Instagram @alwaystakenotes. Our crowdfunding page is patreon.com/alwaystakenotes. Always Take Notes is presented by Simon Akam and Rachel Lloyd, and produced by Artemis Irvine. Our music is by Jessica Dannheisser and our logo was designed by James Edgar.
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