Touching people's lives

“If something in your writing gives support to people in their lives, that's more than just entertainment – which is what we writers all struggle to do; to touch people.” –  Dean Koontz.

Koontz, born on this date in 1945, started as a writing teacher and decided to “practice what he preached,” in his spare time.  His first novel, a science fiction thriller, was well-received, and soon he found that writing was really what he most enjoyed and was meant to do.

While he occasionally writes sci-fi yet today, most of what he does is suspense thrillers.  And he also enjoys incorporating elements of fantasy, sci-fi and horror when he thinks a plot twist or special effect is in order.       

 Meticulous in his approach, probably reverting back to his teaching days and how he advised his students, he noted,  “I don't write a quick draft and then revise; instead, I work slowly page by page, revising and polishing.”                  

His formula definitely works and to date more than two dozen of his books have been on The New York Times bestseller lists, and all of his books combined have sold over 450 million copies worldwide.  Busy all the time, Koontz said he always has something going but never talks about it until it’s done.

“I never discuss a novel while I'm writing it, for fear that talking about it will diminish my desire to write it.”

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