How NY Times Bestselling Novelist Ace Atkins Writes

The Writer Files: Writing, Productivity, Creativity, and Neuroscience

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The New York Times bestselling Southern crime writer, Ace Atkins, took a minute to talk with me about his superhero origins as a journalist, the complicated, dark history of the American South, and the challenge and thrill of changing POVs in the novel.

"Make sure you're picking [your genre and subject] for the right reason, that you're picking something that's your personal obsession. When you do that you're never really working, you're really just having fun." — Ace Atkins

The author has written 26 books, including ten in his country noir, Quinn Colson series, and eight bestselling novels in the continuation of Robert B. Parker’s iconic Spenser series. He has been nominated for every major award in crime fiction, including the Edgar three times.

HBO recently optioned his Quinn Colson novels for a series that's currently in development and Ace's second novel for the Robert B. Parker estate, Wonderland, was made into the film "Spenser Confidential" starring Mark Wahlberg and directed by Peter Berg.

The former newspaper reporter (and SEC football player) also writes essays and investigative pieces for publications including Garden & Gun, The Wall Street Journal, and Outside Magazine.

The Revelators is the 10th Quinn Colson Novel a series Men’s Journal called, "The Deep South’s true detective," and NY Times bestselling author Megan Abbott dubbed, “Ace Atkins’ Quinn Colson series is, quite simply, the best in crime fiction today..."

Stay tuned for a clip from The Revelators audiobook at the break, “... excerpted courtesy [of] Penguin Random House Audio ... read by MacLeod Andrews.”

Please help us learn more about you by completing this short 7-question survey If you’re a fan of The Writer Files, please click subscribe to automatically see new interviews. In this file Ace Atkins and I discussed:

• How his writing has been influenced by '70s noir
• Why his latest work echoes social issues of the deep South
• The music that helps him create
• Dinner with Dashiell Hammett
• And how to pick the best genre for your writing voice!

Show Notes:

• AceAtkins.com
• The Revelators (A Quinn Colson Novel) by Ace Atkins [Amazon]
• Ace Atkins Amazon author page
• Ace Atkins on FaceBook
• Ace Atkins on Instagram
• Ace Atkins on Twitter
• Kelton Reid on Twitter

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