When you're building a character, or at least when I'm building a character, you start saying, 'How am I going to make people like him?' John Sandford More Quotes by John Sandford More Quotes From John Sandford If you do outline, you have to be aware of the problems that that kind of thing can cause. John Sandford cause problems you kind People in California don't live in a place so much as they do a condition. John Sandford live place california people I have a problem with the way the media deals with a lot of law enforcement issues. John Sandford media problem law way When I was reporting crime... I never had the sense of clockwork conspiracies or some kind of imposing order of evil. What I sensed was things just sort of falling apart. John Sandford never things crime evil That's my sense of how crime works: that it's not any kind of calculated evil driven by the devil, but just control disintegrating. John Sandford control devil crime evil Women just make interesting characters, especially when you're working against cliches. John Sandford just you women interesting The difference is this: If you write a good book, it'll get published. If you have a great screenplay, there is no guarantee. John Sandford great good you book A lot of journalists are talented enough to write a mystery novel, and I would say that most of the top-end mystery writers actually started out as reporters. But there is more to it than just the writing; there's a learning process, and most journalists aren't willing to do it. John Sandford mystery learning enough writing I'm just trying to normalize my life and get ready for the last 20 years or whatever I've got. It's a lot to take care of. John Sandford my-life take-care care life I'm an outdoors kind of guy. John Sandford outdoors guy kind I once paddled a canoe the length of the Mississippi River all the way from Itasca to New Orleans. John Sandford river new new-orleans way