When I met my great, great idol. The heaviest elephant, 24 tags elk, the myth, the man, the creator of Jack Reacher, the one and only - Lee Child

Stockholm 4 November 2015

Lee Child: You don´t ever fall in love whit your character, neither be his friend. I think you like Reacher more than I do! (Me: You bet honey! No one can love him like I do, not even you. :) Of course I never said that!

It´s still difficult to understand that what happened actually happened. I had serious plans to travel anywhere in the world where he could show up signing books, or talk on a convention somewhere - only to meet Lee Child. And suddenly he was coming to my hometown – Stockholm in Sweden! I was about to fall off the chair when I opened the morning paper that morning and saw that. Lee Child is coming to Stockholm! My God! That morning I rushed into my editorial and screamed; Drop everything you have! He is coming here!!!!!!!!!!!!!

My hero, Lee Child. Photo: Me. 4 November 2015. 

Who?

Details! This is great! Greater than great! Bigger than big! Breaking News! News Alert! Or Flash as we call it in Swedish. (very Swedish…not)

Ok, we did not manage to get him to the biggest talk show in radio in Sweden, P4 Extra where I work - but I still got to meet him.

I stood first in line outside the door of the University that evening and waited for them to open the door. I think I picked a good spot, but the light was not the best. I did what I could to take good pictures. He didn´t like to have his pictures taken I could tell after several years of photography. But

of course – I had to. Sorry honey!

I was, and I still am a bit in shock, but will try to retell some of his exciting ideas that he shared with us during the evening. He was in Stockholm with Andy Martin, an American writer who, like me, are fascinated by Lee Child - to such an extent that he wrote the book: Reacher said nothing, and it's about Lee Childs authoring process. There was also David Lagercrantz who wrote the fourth part of Stieg Larssons Millenieserie. The three writers, the audience and I. Best day this year.

Andy - renamed himself to Åndy after I talked to him (so sweet) - studied Lee for a year writhing about Jack Reacher. He studied him when he wrote, and when he was laying on the couch with a cigarette in his mouth crying out: I´m working!

Lee Child, Andy (Åndy) Martin and David Lagercrantz. Photo: Me. 

Yes, writing is just a way to bring down the work from the couch, the walks and travels. Lee Child smokes and think´s a lot. And drinks a lot of coffee, He does not run, does not exercise.

Neither do Jack Reacher.  When Jack is in most physically fit it´s because he had been digging for swimingpools to get some money. But he isn´t training.  Running (or driving) is not Jack's strongest sides. He has a lot of other skills. And yes – he loves coffee too. It´s clear that there are parallels between Jack and Lee. They are also both very tall men. The story of how Lee got the name for his hero, you have probably already heard. It´s reproduced in another post about Lee Child here on my blog.

Lee Child: If you see me running – The house is probably on fire! and you have to run too! I haven’t been running for 30 years.  

Back to writing. He talked about the bad idea of liking their character too much. He thought for example that Hannibal Lecter was a wonderful character! The best evil character ever. But what happens? – Clarice Starling falling in love with him and he is transformed from a nasty bastard to a silly little man. Bad, bad, Lee thinks.

One must never ever fall in love with your character, neither be friends with him or her. I will remember that, Lee. Just as one should not let your children get important roles in movies you are directing. We have seen that, haven´t we?  We are simply biased when it comes to our own children, partners or friends. We can´t think clear. I think you have a critical point there, Lee.

They talked a lot about David Lagercrantz who had wrote a fourth part  of the Millenium-series, the fourth part after the deceased Stieg Larsson. Can you do that? Is it a good idea? And can someone do it with Jack Reacher?

Yes, it´s okay, Lee said.  If the fans love him so much - why shouldn’t they love him even after I'm gone? Give the fans what they want. He means so much to them. And I ... well, in this case I'm gone anyway and I´m probably being the last person in the world caring. Laugh. 

He promised that he never would kill Jack Reacher. Thank you! 

David Lagercrantz have both been praised and mocked for having written the continuation of the Millenium series. Profiteer or necessary mission? I do not judge. Should read first. I now have a signed book.

If Lisbeth and Jack falling in love....Photo: Åsa

If Lisbeth Salander (40 kg) and Jack Reacher (110 kg) met – who would win? David Lagercrantz: Lisbeth probably because she's so smart. 

Lee Child: Jack Reacher for obvious reasons. But then they might fall in love and ... I have a very bizarre image in my head now! More laughter!

They agreed that the two "super-heroes" will at least starts working together. I agree to - what a team that would be!

So how do you start writing a book? What's the trick?

- Jack Reacher is a result of thousands of books that I have read before, Lee said.  You have to actually read a lot and I've done that. But at the same time I do not write something that already exists. I have to write something to print next year. Something that has never been written before. I must surprise the audience and invent something new, something unique.

David Lagercrantz are more lenient with first learning to do what others have already done. Then maybe you can write something unique, he suggests. Well ... both may have a point there.

Lee Child, eller Jim Grant född i England, Coventry, 1954. photo: Me, Åsa 

How can you write from a woman's perspective, or a black man or a gay man's perspective if your not?

- Yes, that's our job, Lagercrantz says, but Lee Child is more hesitant. This is tricky. When it comes to sex scenes, he says: 

I imagine a woman and imagine what she can do for me. I simply try to imagine it. And it works.

Yes, as simple as that. He writes good sexscenes  Not to much and not to little. Just right. I think. I know that Lee Childs agent sometimes have asked him: 

Would you be able to turn that around? Could this happen before that? And Lee Child answers: Sure, I could do that - but it was not the way it happened! Hahahahaha ... he has a great British humor.  

I am very jealous of Andy who had to spend so much time with him. But I'm glad, of course, what I experienced for a few hours this evening.

The whole time I listen attentively and wondering if there will be a question-time from the audience, and if I will have the guts to ask the question that I have pondered for so many years now.  Me asking, in English, before my big idol, before the audience….whit the wrong words, wrong grammar, wrong pronunciation….my God! The risk. A monumental loss if failure. A life in shame. But if I don’t – I will hate my self for the rest of my life. Dame! My heart beats so hard it almost hurting me.

A suspicion I had some time - and I should have asked Lee when he signed my book - but of course, I forgot that. I was so stressed, trying to get a selfie whit him. Well I should have asked about the fact that three of my four favorite writers tend to hang out together. They played golf together and they have been on matches. Lee Child, Harlan Coben and Michael Connelly. But why not the fourth - David Baldacci?

When I think about it – it was a sneer there on the podium during the evening in Stockholm.  Some looks, laughs, undertones when David Baldaccis name came up. I got a sense that they dont like David Baldacci. What can be the reason? Could it be that he has a whole staff of people working for him, researching facts? Baldacci is not a one-man show. He has a great company. Wondering if it's the difference? Both Coben, Connelly and Child is more traditional writers working in a classical manner while Baldacci is a bestseller machine with a staff. Perhaps. I do not know if this is so - just a suspicion, and I missed the chance to ask. Or maybe he just is living in Virginia and they didn´t got the idea of hanging together. I don’t know. Lets drop it.

So finally - what was it a trembling Åsa asked the big one? With thirty years experience as a journalist in the broadcast media, this has led to this. I asked a the three-headed question. But do I not know that you don’t do that? Yes, of course I know! But how often do I have the opportunity to talk directly with my superhero? I had to intertwine three questions in one to get back as much as possible. I never do that otherwise.  And what a reply!!

I tried to get stabilize in my voice and asked the question (questions); These small feudal towns that you describe so well in your books, those located in the US countryside, like  Hope and Despair - are they for real, do they exists, have you've been there and do you tend to travel around the US countryside as Reacher do to make your research?

Puh!

Brilliant, huh? I was so nervous that it took a while, after I actually almost made it sound sensible, until I understood that he was talking to me. He took  my question (questions) very seriously and he started telling me about his travels. If you could freeze that moment! Forever. Please.  

Jack Reacher is not just a story about the fighter and criminals, murder and general action. There is an undertone of other stuff, feudal society where man is without power an free will.  If you’re not trying real hard to break the pattern there is.

Lee Child tells me (and the rest of the crowd, which by now completely disappeared from my consciousness) he has been touring in the American countryside so much and seen so much. He told me about a several hour-long distances by car when he hardly met a single person. Finally he met a woman who told him that she had to travel for hours to be able to buy food that she herself had not cultivated or slaughtered. The woman exists in the book Echo Burning - which obviously I have to read again immediately.

Some panic in my eyes....but my new friend here is calm. 

I have also bought a very detailed US map hanging next to my bed. I will try to trace Reachers (Lee Childs) trips in the countryside. I am extremely interested in these small towns. Why? I myself come from a similar place. Kiruna, in the north of Sweden. An isolated city, many, many miles secluded from the outside world, a single industry, some powerful people who rules the city, holds it in its grip. Nothing works in the city but everything works nevertheless - if you know whom to turn to. That's sooooooo interesting. To not fit into the norm - Boy, have I experienced that?

I loved listening to his story and after he was finished I suggested frankly that he would come up to the northern of Sweden. They have exactly everything that Lee Child is looking for.  General laughter. David Lagercrantz clarified: Should Lee Child then go around in Norrbottens inland to look for environments? Yes, he would not be disappointed! That’s for damn sure!

Lee Child, your novels are more than excitement. You are so much more. Love you, man. Thank you for a magical evening. I´ll never forget it.

Yours truly, for ever

Åsa 

By the way for the fans who can not let go of Tom Cruise as Jack Reacher. I thought the same but got over it (it took no more than a couple of years).  Lee Child have had some issues whit the fans over that and he got the question from the audience in Stockholm as well. His answer:

The book is the book. The movie is a different story told in a different way. I can´t understand why you readers even see the movie – you know what’s going to happen, don’t you?! hahahaha

Again Lee – you are brilliant!