The new heart-racing, cat-andmouse thriller One Wrong Word, from author Hank Phillippi Ryan, will be the centerpiece of the next Meet the Author event at Georgia Writers Museum (GWM), Feb. 7 at 7 p.m., with doors open at 6:30 p.m.
GWM recently conducted a brief interview with the USA Today best-selling writer.
GWM: Your books are psychological thrillers. What is it about this type of literary genre that most appeals to you?
Ryan: I love the power of words – and how words can be devastatingly destructive and infinitely violent. I’m not a fan of graphic gore on the page, but I revel in mind games, gaslighting, deception, and revenge. Harlan Coben once told me to write the kind of book I love to read, so that’s what I do. One Wrong Word is a twisty cat-and-mouse thriller – but which character is the cat, and which character is the mouse?
GWM: What is your favorite mystery movie?
Ryan: This is way too difficult! North by Northwest. The Verdict. Charade. The Usual Suspects. A Few Good Men. Oh, and Witness for the Prosecution!
They're fair, propulsive, smart, surprising, and infinitely human.
GWM: You have been an award-winning investigative and television reporter for many years. How has that background helped your writing?
Ryan: It's the best possible training! I’ve learned a good story calls for a character you care about, a high-stakes problem that demands to be solved, where the good guys win, and the bad guys get what’s coming to them. And in the end, there’s justice and the world is changed.
That’s the key to a terrific investigative story, and to a killer novel as well. It’s just that in writing crime fiction, I had to learn to make stuff up. I've also learned to write fast – and that it doesn’t have to be perfect on the first draft.
GWM: What is the most difficult part of writing fiction?
Ryan: Two parts. One is coming up with the initial gorgeous gem of an idea. And two, because I don’t use an outline, is am patient enough to let the story show me the ending. I never know what’s going to happen until I write it, and I surprise myself every time. And that is part of the magic.
Tickets to see Ryan speak about One Wrong Word are $45 ($40 each for two or more), or a table for six can be reserved for $200 (a savings of $40).
The event will include clever decorations and amazing hors d’oeuvres. Contact Georgia Writers Museum or visit georgiawritersmuseum. org online for reservations and to pre-order Ryan’s newest book. She will sign books following her presentation.