Run gives us the chilling premise of being killed if your name is read out on the Emergency Broadcast System. What inspired you to create such a high-stakes scenario?
Run begins very similar to how the Rwandan genocide began in 1994, when the RTLM radio broadcasts began running anti-Tutsi propaganda and saying that the Tutsis must be exterminated. America and the rest of the world ignored these atrocities and refused to get involved and take action once a genocide began to unfold. Studying what occurred in Rwanda made me wonder what it would be like if something similar happened in America.
How did the writing process of Run compare to your previous works like Dark Matter or Upgrade?
In some ways, Run was much easier because it required far less scientific research than Dark Matter or Upgrade. The challenge with Run more centered around sustaining a breakneck narrative pace for 300+ pages and finding ways to balance the horror with the emotion.
The timeline in Run is incredibly intense, how did you find maintaining the suspense while keeping the story moving at such a fast pace?
Each chapter represents a day in the life of the family who is on the run. When I set out to write Run, my guiding principle was that I write the fastest, scariest book possible. So I simply never let up on the threats to the family, and kept the pedal down throughout the entire story.
How did you approach character development in Run given the urgency of the storyline?
Essentially, Run is about a broken family being repaired internally, even as external forces threaten their lives. I knew I wanted to start this family in an incredibly low place and that the character arcs for Jack and Dee would be about finding strength and love again, during the worst event of their lives. So the character development became about finding quiet moments amidst the horror for the family to reconnect.
Your books have been praised for their cinematic qualities, and with the fantastic television adaptation of Dark Matter - do you envision Run as a potential film or TV adaptation and if so, how do you imagine it translating to the screen?
I would love to see Run adapted for the screen. I’m not sure at this point exactly what that would look like, but I know I would want an adaptation to have the same breathless, emotional, roller-coaster pace as the book itself, while still finding a way to be an ultimately hopeful story of a family coming together during the worst imaginable conditions.
You’ve been described as a 'genre-bending' author. How do you feel about this label, and how do you see Run continuing to push the boundaries of traditional thrillers?
I don’t care about labels and I don’t think about them. I just write the kinds of books I would want to read.
With your success in both novels and screenwriting, how do you approach storytelling across different mediums? Do you have any upcoming projects in television or film that we can get excited about?
Storytelling is storytelling, no matter the medium. It’s always about creating characters the audience cares deeply about, whether as scripts or prose. That’s really all that matters. If you do that, you can pretty much tell whatever sort of story you want. In terms of new projects, I’m currently writing a new book and gearing up for production on Dark Matter Season 2.
With each new book, your fan base continues to grow. How do you stay connected with your readers, and does their feedback influence your writing process?
I do try to stay in touch with fans via my various social media channels. I love to hear how my work impacts readers, and while I don’t interact as much as I would like with my other responsibilities, I do feel a profound closeness to my readers. I wouldn’t say their feedback influences my writing progress, but my feeling is that if I’m writing a story that I’m excited about, surprised by, and moved by, my fans will feel the same.
