Does it Take a Twisted Mind to Write Twisted Stories? | Better In Person
with Harlan Coben
5 Aug 20264 min read~22m
TL;DR
Harlan Coben argues that great thriller writing is about stirring the heart, not just the pulse — you have to make readers care about characters before suspense can work. He also insists that aspiring writers should do almost no research and never use it as an excuse to avoid the actual writing. And despite 90 million books sold and 12 Netflix series, he says the impostor syndrome and panic never go away — not even for Stephen King.
Key Moments
Harlan Coben
“It's easy to stir the mind. It's easy to stir the pulse but has to stir the heart. And so I have to make you care about these people in order to work.”
Coben explaining his core philosophy of what separates a thriller that works from one that doesn't.
“I think the worst adaptations are the ones that want to reproduce the book. What the hell is the point of that? You want the experience of the book, read the goddamn book.”
Coben explaining his philosophy on adapting his own novels for Netflix.
“Don't tell me you don't have time to write. That's nonsense. It means your life is filled with things that are more important to you than writing. In which case you're not a writer.”
Coben invoking Mary Higgins Clark — widowed at 37 with five kids — as the ultimate counter-argument to 'I don't have time.'
“I very lazy researcher. I do not believe in research for a book. I think re if I'm if you're trying to write a book. The advice I give you is don't do any research. Do as little as possible.”
Coben making his counterintuitive case against research as a writing practice.
Harlan Coben is a bestselling thriller and mystery writer whose books have sold over 90 million copies worldwide. He has produced 12 series on Netflix, giving him a rare degree of creative control over adaptations of his own work. His breakout novel was Tell No One (2001), and he continues to write prolifically, including a recent collaboration with Reese Witherspoon.
Takeaways
1
Research is procrastination in disguise Coben deliberately does almost no research before writing, arguing it gives writers an excuse to avoid the blank page. The second danger: writers who over-research then dump factoids into the narrative, killing pace. His fix is to find one vivid real-world detail — like learning that Strawberry Fields buskers now run on an hourly schedule managed by a guy named Davey — and let that do all the work.
2
'No time to write' is a values statement, not a fact Coben points to Mary Higgins Clark — widowed at 37 with five kids and no financial support — who woke at 5am to write before getting the kids up. His conclusion: if you don't write, it's not a time problem, it's that other things matter more to you, and that's fine, but own it rather than blame your schedule.
3
Fear fuels great work — don't kill it Coben says impostor syndrome and panic never disappear, not even for Stephen King, who still got nervous sharing a manuscript. The goal isn't to eliminate self-doubt but to let it fuel output rather than paralyze you — stopping caring is when you start phoning it in.
4
Adaptations must betray the book to succeed Coben argues slavish fidelity to source material produces the worst adaptations — if viewers want the book's experience, they should read the book. He treats his 12 Netflix series as entirely separate creative objects, willing to change everything, which he credits for his unusual run of successful adaptations.
5
Never write toward an adaptation — it kills the book Coben says thinking 'this will make a great TV show' while writing is 'the kiss of death' for the book itself. He enforced the same rule with his Reese Witherspoon collaboration: no one else in the room, no adaptation thinking, treat it purely as a novel first.
6
Thrillers work only when readers care Coben's core craft principle: stirring the mind and pulse is easy, but it only lands if you've first stirred the heart. He has no interest in gore or external action — all action sequences are written from inside the character's head, focusing on what they're thinking rather than what the camera would show.