I never take ideas from the headlines. I feel that if a story is good enough, a real story that is, then it’s already been covered by the media, and if it’s not good enough, why would I want to bother with it? Evan Hunter Read Quote
You just touch on things. You don’t go round the room describing the furniture. Evan Hunter Read Quote
I only knew one thing about policemen: they were inhuman beasts. The problem was how to turn them into likable, sympathetic human beings. The answer was simple. Give them head colds. And first names. And keep their dialogue homey and conversational. Evan Hunter Read Quote
Sometimes I had three or four stories in a single magazine without the editor knowing they were all by me. Evan Hunter Read Quote
It’s hard to write an Evan Hunter novel because I really am starting from scratch. I’m assuming a new voice each time. The McBain voice is set. Evan Hunter Read Quote
My first wife kept calling me Sal, and I finally said to her, ‘Why do you think I changed my name, honey? I really didn’t like the old name.’ Evan Hunter Read Quote
I was a blond-haired kid with blue eyes, growing up in an Italian ghetto. I had a very high IQ. In elementary school, I skipped ahead twice. I was 10 years old when everyone else was 12. Evan Hunter Read Quote
I know that all cops are not sterling characters. But you have to have someone to root for. I balance it with rotten cops who will take a bribe, who will beat somebody up. Evan Hunter Read Quote
I began using pseudonyms early in my career, when I was being paid a quarter a cent a word for my work, and when I had to write a lot to earn a living. Sometimes I had three or four stories in a single magazine without the editor knowing they were all by me. Evan Hunter Read Quote
