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Do you do copious amounts of planning?

Yes. I plot out the major twists in my books from the start. I give myself a bit of leeway for changes or digressions, but largely, I plan it out in great detail. It usually creates piles and piles of paper on my desk! (But since I use different coloured paper for different projects, it's okay, I can tell which notes belongs to which project!)

What kind of information goes into outlining a book? Do you have a checklist?

You plan out the story, who is going to populate it (the characters), and what is going to drive it along (often a villain kicks off a story: Die Hard, Area 7; but sometimes it is an event, like the discovery of a valuable object: Ice Station, Temple).

I do compile my notes into a master list, yes. That page then becomes the crucial document. I usually photocopy it and give it to a friend to keep for safekeeping.

I hear you made a cameo appearance in your brother's book - can you tell us about it?

I did, yes! By then I was a famous film director: Stephen's book was set in the near future, so I was very flattered. He didn't tell me that he was going to do it, so when I read the book, I got a very pleasant surprise!

Do any of your other family members appear in any of Stephens or your books?

Er, no.

You say you have an 'ideas drawer' where all your great concepts for stories go. When it comes time to write a book - do you just have a lucky dip? Or do you prefer to throw darts?

My ideas drawer is the key to my existence. I often just pull it open and see what's in there. No, no lucky dip or dart throwing. Just a calm perusal that ends with inspiration.

Some of your scenes seem similar to scenes in action movies - is this ever intentional?

I actually try to make them as different from the movies (that I know) as I can. It can be hard because there have been so many action movies in recent years, using so many common objects - car chases, fights on buildings, aerial stunts - but you have to try to be new and innovative.

Funny, I have found my own scenes replicated in other spheres. My hovercraft chase in Ice Station was totally new... until James Bond did it in Die Another Day a few years later. The big river chase in Temple hasn't been replicated, so far as I know.

Mind you, I do like to (in nearly all my books) pay homage to Raiders of the Lost Ark, and the wonderful scene in it where Indiana Jones goes under the truck. In Ice Station, Schofield went under a hovercraft; in Temple, William Race went under a speeding boat. Wait for Scarecrow, where Schofield might do it with a...

What made you want to be a writer in the first place?

The thrillers I was reading were becoming too predictable. I was starting to 'see' their structure, where they were going. I felt they could be faster, more out-of-control, and more unpredictable. So I decided to write my own.

Stephen King said recently that at some stage in their career every author looks at the books they are reading as says, 'I can do better than that.' I did exactly that.

Like Clancy and other authors, would you allow a spin-off series not written by you, but based on your work?

Not sure about that. I admire what Tom Clancy has done in the computer game world, but the spin-offs aren't my cup of tea. I kinda think they devalue an author's name. James Patterson does them, too, and they seem to work very well for him.

Would you ever consider writing a book with another author? If so, who would you like to co-author with?

Thing is, I don't think anyone would want to write with me! When it comes to writing, I'm a bit of a control freak, and I don't think I'd be fun to write with.

Have you ever appeared in one of your own books? Is Staff-Sergeant Buck Riley actually you in disguise?

Actually, I am a lot like William Race, both in appearance and manner! I wear a lot of caps, including a New York Yankees cap.

Contest has been re-written 3 times. Is there any chance of a Contest Special First Original Edition release?

Probably not. You'll just have to find it in a second-hand store in Sydney.

Do you ever get stopped in the street for an autograph?

I do get spotted from time to time here in Australia, but no, I've never been stopped for an autograph

Does your hand ever go numb from book signings?

Your wrist can get tired, but if you have a good signing technique, you'll be fine. (There are worse ways to get a repetitive stress injury!)

Is the autograph you give fans the same one you sign cheques with?

No. I write my full name when I sign someone's book, but my cheque signature is an abbreviation

You say that your books are your business cards. Doesn't that make them tough to carry in your wallet?

Ha. Ha.

Who do the translations for other languages?

Each publisher has their own freelance translators that they work with. Choosing a translator is very important, because you want someone who will convey the tone of your prose as well as just the words. My choice of grammar is very casual and fast, so I'd want a translator who appreciates that. Likewise, the guy who translates Umberto Eco would want to have an awesome vocabulary!

How do you know they're getting it right?

You just cross your fingers and hope... and you assume that the English-speaking person who read my book in English and bought the publishing rights is checking that the story is being reproduced faithfully.

Apart from writing, is there any skill youwish you had? Like an affinity for drawing or carpentry?

I wish I could do physics intuitively. My physics and chemistry brain is very mechanical. I wish I could just do it easily, but I can't.

I also wish I could play the piano (or any musical instrument for that matter).

Are you trained in a martial art?

I've done some karate.

What is the most common misconception about you?

That I'm not prepared to change my mind. I can be outspoken with my opinions, but I am always ready to be persuaded to another point of view.

How do you choose topics for your Thoughts Section?

I just try to think about what's happening in my life and what is interesting me at the time!

Ever had a heckler? What happened?

Once a guy stood up during a speech I was giving and said 'Who gives a f*ck... ' and walked out to go to the toilet. He was rather drunk, and it wasn't a book-reading audience. I believe he was accosted in the toilet afterwards by irate members of the audience who didn't appreciate his rudeness.

Can I contact you? Will you reply?

You can email through MatthewReilly.com, but replying has become harder and harder, what with the amount of emails coming through these days. I promise that I read all emails that come through the site, but I can't reply to all of them anymore. I wish I could, but if I did, I wouldn't have time to write any more books - and I think my fans would prefer that I did that! That said, I probably reply to one in every four that I receive!

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