Chris Carter: “I spend a lot of time writing, but very little reading”

Chris Carter, international bestselling author, answers a few questions about reading.

Q: What inspired you to write?

“The truth is, I never really had any ambitions of becoming a writer. I never spent time dreaming up stories, or imagining characters, or anything of the sort. Before writing my first novel, I had never even written a short story. What happened was, (and this is the short version), I woke up one day with a story in my head and decided to put it to paper. That story in my head was ‘The Crucifix Killer’, which became my first novel, so I can say that a dream inspired me to write.”

Q: Which 10 books would you recommend that everyone read?

“That is a very difficult question because, at least in my case, that list will be ever changing. If you ask me the same question a year from now, I would probably give you a different list. So, right now, some of the books I would recommend would be:

· I Am Pilgrim by Terry Hayes

· Child 44 by Tom Rob Smith

· The Analyst by John Katzenbach

· Double Tap by Stephen Leather

· The Avenger by Frederick Forsyth

· The Afghan by Frederick Forsyth

· Silence of the Lambs by Thomas Harris

· The Crow Girl by Erik Exl Sund

· The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

· Sorry, can’t think of a tenth one.”

Q: Which is the one book that changed your life?

“I can’t say that I have ever read a book that has changed my life. I know that this will come as a surprise to many, but I don’t read very much. I usually read about three to four books a year, if that. It sounds crazy for an author, doesn’t it? But that’s the truth. I spend a lot of time writing, but very little reading.”

Q: Is there any author who has greatly inspired you?

“Again, same as the previous question. I can’t say that any author has greatly inspired me. I write because I love writing.”

Q: Share 5 hacks to write better.

“There are no hacks. There’s no secret formula. There’s no magic potion. One just needs to sit down and write. The more you write, the better you get at it. Just don’t give up.”