Ep. 610: Harlan Coben, #1 New York Times bestselling thriller author with over 100 million books in print and many hit TV adaptations, talks about his new book, Plot Twist, messy first drafts, how fiction is memoir, and the simple trick that leaves him with no excuses.

Episode highlights
<ul>
 <li>Why bestselling novelist, Harlan Coben, wrote a memoir about the writing life, and how the process differed from his other books. [04:33]
</li>
 <li>“Fiction is memoir, and memoir is fiction.” [06:27]
</li>
 <li>Whether you want to pursue writing, sculpting, or painting, it’s never too late. [16:38]
</li>
 <li>Why characters don’t have to be likeable, and how “incremental ambition” helps you keep going. [32:00]
</li>
 <li>Listener questions (and Harlan Coben’s answers) about modern technology in plotting, working with Reese Witherspoon, and book cover art [22:12]
</li>
</ul>
Mentioned in this Episode
<ul>
 <li>Plot Twist: Life, Craft, and the Messy First Draft by Harlan Coben (<a href="https://link.amazon/B07NOSmJ5">Amazon</a>, <a href="https://bookshop.org/a/15926/9781538784624">Bookshop</a>)&nbsp;
</li>
 <li><a href="https://www.harlancoben.com/novels/">Harlan Coben’s novels</a>
</li>
 <li><a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/6haxSH3TMIrt4BSFicMUgK">Evaporated: Gone with the Gods podcast, about Japan’s “johatsu” (people who deliberately vanish)&nbsp;</a>
</li>
 <li><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/05/books/review/harlan-coben-plot-twist-writing-guide.html">NYT profile of Harlan Coben</a>
</li>
 <li><a href="https://harukimurakami.com/author">Haruki Murakami and the baseball game where he decided to write a novel</a>
</li>
</ul>
Connect with Us:
<ul>
 <li>Email: podcast@gretchenrubin.com
</li>
 <li>Website: gretchenrubin.com
</li>
 <li>Instagram: @gretchenrubin | @lizcraft
</li>
 <li><a href="https://gretchenrubin.com/quiz/the-four-tendencies-quiz/">Take Gretchen's free Four Tendencies quiz</a>
</li>
</ul>
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