Literary Birthday – 6 April – Vince Flynn

Vince Flynn was born on 6 April 1966 and died on 19 June 2013.

Vince Flynn Quotes

1. Carve out at least one hour a day and write at least one page. It doesn’t even have to be good at first. Everyone wants to talk about talent or the gift, and they definitely play a part, but discipline is every bit as important.
2. Every writer has their own method and what works for them might not work for someone else, but one piece of advice holds true: Writing is a mix of talent and discipline. If you want to succeed you have to spend thousands of hours writing. Journaling is a great way to start.
3. I’m a big believer in index cards and deciding in what genre you are going to write. Once you know that, you can better understand your audience. Look at who has succeeded in that genre and how they’ve done it. More often than not, you’ll find that the writers who succeed have a smooth style that propels the story rather than get in the way of it.
4. The ideas start floating around in my head as I’m finishing the previous book, but I don’t sit down and get serious for three or four months. After I hand in a book we edit and then once the book is put to bed the focus turns to marketing and promoting the book. Before you know it the book is out and it’s time for a media blitz. While I’m not technically writing, I’m always thinking about what Rapp is going to do next.
5. I did not read a single book about how to write a thriller. I relied on my instincts and my own sense of pacing and storytelling. In terms of structure, it’s a good idea to open up The Firm by John Grisham to see how he starts and end his scenes.
6. I always start on paper. I use a ton of index cards. But it seems like recently I’m spending less time on paper because I want to get a jump on writing it and I always do that on computer.
7. I always have a vague idea as to what the ending will be but it usually changes a degree or two.
8. I will research a scene and then write it. When I sit down to write, there is only one cook in the kitchen. Any good writer has the ability to put themselves in the head of each character. We are quite adept at arguing both sides of an issue.
9. I’m convinced that the key to success in this business is to write a good page-turner and write one every year. If you can do that the rest will take care of itself.
10. I tell dyslexic kids and their parents all the time to get their kid reading. I don’t care if it’s comic books or monster truck magazines. Find out what their hobbies and likes are end then buy magazines or books on the subject. Reading is a habit, so find a time every day for at least ten minutes where they read.

All quotes from Vince Flynn FAQs

Vince Flynn was an American author. In an effort to overcome dyslexia, Flynn forced himself into a daily writing and reading routine. Five years and more than 60 rejection letters later he published his first novel. He wrote political thriller novels featuring the fictional assassin, Mitch Rapp. The books include Transfer of Power, The Third Option, and Memorial Day. The film, American Assassin, based on the novel of the same name was released in 2017. He was a story consultant for the fifth season of the television series 24. His writing influences included Leon Uris, Tom Clancy, Ernest Hemingway, John Irving, Robert Ludlum, J.R.R. Tolkien, and Gore Vidal.

Source for image: Author’s Website

by Amanda Patterson

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