Self-doubt not included

“As a writer, you have to believe you're one of the best writers in the world. To sit down every day at the typewriter filled with self-doubt is not a good idea.” –  Jo Nesbo

A former Norwegian soccer star who turned to writing after a serious injury, Nesbo is not only one of Norway’s most popular writers, but also one of the world’s – particularly when it comes to crime fiction.  After developing highly successful series featuring a hard- boiled detective Harry Hole, he branched out to a second series featuring a crazy professor named Doctor Proctor, who comes up with remarkable – yet somehow workable – inventions.  And now he is into books starring Olav Johannson, a member of a leading crime family.  His newest book, The Kidnapping, is just out and all three of his Johannson books have been optioned for movies.

When asked about where he develops his sometimes far-fetched ideas, he said “Those golden minutes before you are completely awake, when your mind is just drifting, you have no censorship; you are ready to develop any kind of idea. That's when I come up with the best and worst ideas. That is the privilege of being a writer - that you can stay in bed for an hour in the morning and it's work time.”

Born on this day in 1960, Nesbo said he doesn’t try to write to his audience but rather tries to write so that the audience is drawn to him.  “You can't visit readers where you think they are,” he advised.   “You have to invite them home to where you are and try to lure them into your universe. That's the art of storytelling.”

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