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Where do you get your ideas from?

Reading a lot of non-fiction: books, the newspaper, science magazines. I also watch a lot of documentaries!

How do you know which ideas are worth following up?

You learn that by experience - some ideas don't fly, others do. You learn from the ones that worked.

How do you know which ideas fit into different mediums -
i.e.: THIS would be better as a TV Series, etc.

Books require BIG ideas. Writing a book takes me a year, so it has to be really big and expansive.

TV requires the ability to do similar-but-different stories many many times.

Movies are like short stories to me - 100-page-long short stories - so they don't have to be as huge as book ideas.

That said, some ideas are just very visual and work better for film than books. Altitude Rush worked as a short story, but for sheer visual spectacle, I think it would be a killer movie. Putting it in published short story form, however, was a good idea, because it got the story 'out there' and published, and hence made it harder for anyone to pinch.

What is your favourite book and literary genre?

Jurassic Park, by Michael Crichton. I guess my favourite genre is the thriller genre (I like to be kept on the edge of my seat), but I tend to read all kinds of genres.

What books would you recommend fans of your books to read?
Fiction:

Anything by Michael Crichton, especially JP, Eaters of the Dead, and The Great Train Robbery
Fatherland by Robert Harris.
The Silence of the Lambs by Thomas Harris.
Honour Among Thieves by Jeffrey Archer.
The Day After Tomorrow by Allan Folsom.
Clear and Present Danger by Tom Clancy
Debt of Honour by Tom Clancy
The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown.
Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption by Stephen King
The Long Walk by Stephen King
About a Boy by Nick Hornby

Non-Fiction:

Searching for Bobby Fischer by Fred Waitzkin
A Civil Action by Jonathan Harr
Rich Kids by Paul Barry
Marine by Tom Clancy
George Lucas by John Baxter
Steven Spielberg: The Unauthorized Biography by John Baxter
The Lexus and the Olive Tree by Thomas Friedman
Rocket Boys by Homer Hickam

What about least favourite? Which books have not delivered for you?

I wouldn't really like to go there, but I will say that I preferred the movie Die Hard to the book it was based on, Nothing Lasts Forever by Roderick Thorp.

Have you always been a writer?

I wasn't even much of a reader until I was 15 and was given To Kill a Mockingbird and Lord of the Flies. I didn't start writing anything of note until I was about 18. Then, when I was 19, I tried to write a screenplay, failed, and then started Contest.

Did you have second thoughts about writing while you studied?

No, I enjoyed it. It was my hobby. And then my hobby turned into a career.

Have you ever wanted to try your hand at another genre? If so, which one?

Not really. I think I may try something a little more serious later in life, but at the moment, I love writing thrillers, so that's what I'll stick with. That said, I have had an idea for a children's book...

Ever think about writing a kids' book?

Ha! I just answered this! Yes, I have. A really fast-paced kid's book.

Done any newspaper or magazine work that wasn't fiction?

Er, no. Don't really like being pinned down to reporting facts. Just doesn't work for me. I once did some columns for CLEO magazine here in Australia.

How many newspapers have your stories appeared in? How many countries?

My short stories have only been published in Australia. I really should get my agents to work on that!
More information on my short sotries can be found by clicking here.

How many different languages and countries have your books been printed in?

Gosh, it must be about 17 countries, and about 14 languages. To list some of them off the top of my head: Australia, UK, US, Germany, Italy, Holland, Czech Republic, Bulgaria, Norway, Denmark, Portugal, Spain, South Africa, India, China.

Which country gets the best sales based on population? And overall?

I've never done the math, but I think Australia would win based on sales per capita, but Holland would come a close second. That said, the UK, US and Germany are all huge markets for me, with the US ultimately the biggest.

Did you find that your friends and family were supportive while you were writing?

Yes. Absolutely. I always write in the Acnowledgements pages of my books "To anyone who knows a writer, never underestimate the power of your encouragement." One kind supportive word will obliterate one hundred critical words. But where there is only criticism, that really hurts an author.

Have you done any work that hasn't been published? If so, what kind of projects were they?

I have about seven screenplays sitting in my cupboard that are just dying to be made! As for books or short stories, no, what I have written has been published.

What is happening with the movie versions of your books?

The original option of Contest expired, so I got my rights back, ready to sell again.

As for Ice Station, I have discovered how slow the Hollywood movie-making process really is. Paramount have been great, developing the screenplay, but with a project this big, it has to go through many sets of eyes before a big decision is made. The short answer is: it's still percolating through the system and will hopefully come out within four years. (As a point of reference, The Fugitive took five years just to come up with a script!)

What are your favourite movies?
A-Grade:

Die Hard
Searching for Bobby Fischer
Schindler's List
Aliens
Predator
Blade Runner
About a Boy
Back to the Future
Jaws
Raiders of the Lost Ark
Star Wars
The Empire Strikes Back
Return of the Jedi

B-Grade:

Dog Soldiers
Deep Blue Sea
Blue Crush

Independent:

Tigerland
Being John Malkovich

How about actors and actresses; who do you look out for in particular?

I look for presence. The ability to command the screen. Either you have it or you don't. Jennifer Garner in Catch Me If You Can was someone who just stole the screen (not easy when you're onscreen with Leonardo di Caprio).

I'm a fan of Bruce Willis, Keanu Reeves (who both have had just a great variety of movie choices), Harrison Ford's early work, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Reese Witherspoon, and lately, Jennifer Garner.

And Directors? Do you follow crew as well as cast?

Oh yeah. I love John McTiernan's stuff; Jan de Bont's camera movement; Steven Spielberg of course (he's the master); recently, I've liked John Stockwell's Blue Crush and Crazy/Beautiful, and Rob Cohen's actioners.

How do you research your books - in particular, how do you get information on weaponry and the military?

I read a lot of non-fiction. Tom Clancy's non-fiction military library is awesome, as are his interview books like Every Man a Tiger. I think he's been extraordinarily generous giving readers and other authors an insight into the miltary.

I also have many books on the various armed forces of the world, plus the Marine Corps' Guidebook for Marines. I also have the Jane's 'Recognition' books on guns, planes and vehicles. They give you specs and much-needed authentic information.

And of course, now that my books have spread around the world, I have met people from the various armed forces of Australia and the US, plus (wait for it) people who work for gun manufacturers. These people show me new stuff as well as answering my many, many questions.

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