Hello and welcome to another episode of DIY MFA Radio! Today I’m so excited to interview best-selling author Steve Berry.
Steve Berry is a New York Times and internationally bestselling thriller author and creator of the Cotton Malone series. His books have been translated into 40 languages, with more than 19 million printed copies in 51 countries. A 2010 NPR survey named one of his books–The Templar Legacy–one of the top 100 thrillers ever written. Clearly when it comes to writing books that captivate readers, Steve Berry knows his stuff.
There is history at the heart of every novel he writes and together with his wife, he founded History Matters, a foundation dedicated to historic preservation. Since 2009 Steve and and his wife Elizabeth have crossed the country to save endangered historic treasures raising money via lectures, receptions, galas, luncheons, dinners and, of course, writers’ workshops.
What I admire about Steve Berry is that he’s a writer who is using his role as an author not only to create stories that entertain, but to do philanthropic work he truly believes in. Listen to our conversation here:
In this interview, Steve and I talk about:
- What drew Steve to write thrillers in the first place.
- Steve’s favorite part about writing history-based thrillers.
- The most important skill that writers need to develop, and how to learn it.
- The importance of plot and story structure, and how character is intertwined in both.
- How to use reading to teach yourself to write.
- Why we love Thrillerfest, the ultimate writing conference for thriller writers.
(Hint: this event is super-awesome!)
— Steve Berry
Plus: Steve shares his #1 tip for writers.
Resources:
Steve Berry’s newest book The Patriot Threat is available on Amazon now!
For more information, visit www.steveberry.org or connect with him on social media:
Twitter | Facebook | Google+ | Youtube
Link to Episode 42
(Right-click to download.)
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Until next week, keep writing and keep being awesome.
