Shortly before heading out to Minneapolis, Dave and I were starting to get into a couple of books by William Kent Krueger. Well, it turns out that he lives in the area, so while we were in town, he graciously agreed to let us swing by and set up shop in his dining room to talk the mechanics of mystery writing, how he got his start, and, of course, what he’s reading. Listen in as we discuss:
- What makes a good mystery story
- Why he frequently include 13-year-olds as primary characters in his books
- A shared favorite book of Aaron & Kent’s
- Why we might want to revisit The Catcher in the Rye
- Mystery and crime authors to read and learn from
- How reading affects his writing
- Great Minnesotan authors and the role place plays in his stories
This episode is sponsored by Gospel-Centered Discipleship. On April 13th, GCD will host their 2020 Writer’s Intensive in Louisville KY (right before T4G) featuring Ronnie Martin, Jonathan Dodson and Jared C. Wilson. Learn more and register at gcdiscipleship.com/writers-intensive.
A few of the books we mentioned on this episode:
- This Tender Land, Ordinary Grace, and the Cork O’Connor novels by William Kent Krueger
- The Witness of Combines by Kent Meyers
- The Crossing by Cormac McCarthy
- The Reivers by William Faulkner
- Hatchet by Gary Paulsen
- Death Without Company by Craig Johnson
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