Dean Koontz: 120 Novels Published. 500M Copies Sold.
Here are the top 10 key takeaways from Dean Koontz's insights on writing 120 novels and selling 500 million copies.
1. Stop outlining and trust character-driven storytelling
Koontz abandoned traditional outlining after recognizing it constrained his creative process. Publishers would buy books based on outlines, paying half the advance upfront. However, when he deviated from outlines to improve the story, publishers expressed disappointment that the finished book differed from what they expected. This created a frustrating cycle where better creative choices led to publisher dissatisfaction.
The breakthrough came when Koontz began treating characters as having free will rather than being mere puppets. He discovered that if you stop dictating every character action and instead let them guide the story, they begin making surprising choices that feel authentic. This approach requires trusting your subconscious and following unexpected character decisions, even when they throw your planned plot off course.
The result is consistently better novels because characters drive the narrative in organic directions. When a character says something that implies an unforeseen course of action, the instinct is to reject it for disrupting your planned story. However, embracing these moments and asking "where does this lead?" creates richer, more compelling fiction than rigid adherence to predetermined outlines.
2. Perfect each page before moving forward
Koontz employs an unusual writing method that most writers find counterintuitive. He works page by page, revising each page 10-20 times until he considers it perfect before moving to the next. This stems from persistent self-doubt that forces him to ensure each page meets his standards before progressing. Other writers question this approach, arguing it kills momentum.
His method resembles building a coral reef, piling up perfected pages over time without looking back. At chapter completion, he prints and reviews the work because screen reading misses details visible on paper. After chapter review, he rarely returns to earlier sections because of his meticulous page-by-page approach.
This technique proved successful with "Strangers," his first hardcover bestseller. The approach allows deep consideration of each story element and prevents the common problem of rushing through first drafts only to face massive revision challenges later. While unconventional, this method suits writers who prefer to solve problems as they arise rather than fixing them in post-draft revisions.
3. Reject industry conventional wisdom
Publishing contains what Koontz calls "an encyclopedia of common wisdom" where "all of it is common and none of it is wise." His career repeatedly involved conflicts with publishers who insisted certain approaches would fail. The industry told him he'd never be a hardcover bestseller and would remain confined to paperbacks, yet he proved this wrong through persistence.
A prime example occurred with "Lightning," which his publisher wanted to shelve for seven years, claiming it would destroy his career. They argued the book couldn't succeed because it mixed humor with suspense and featured a child protagonist through the first third, making it seem like young adult fiction for his adult audience. The publisher believed adult readers wouldn't buy novels with child characters.
Koontz fought for six months before threatening to leave if they didn't publish "Lightning" next. The book reached number three on bestseller lists, went through twenty hardcover printings, and became number one in paperback. His subsequent book became his first number one hardcover bestseller. This experience taught him to distinguish between industry assumptions and actual reader preferences.
4. View talent as unearned gift requiring responsibility
Koontz considers any artistic talent an unearned gift that comes with responsibility to develop it fully. He left science fiction writing after realizing he lacked the facility to excel in that genre, despite being able to sell stories. This recognition led him to search for the right application of his particular gifts.
The transition involved experimenting with different genres, including an unsuccessful comic novel, before finding his voice in suspense. His natural humor kept emerging despite industry pressure against mixing comedy with suspense. Rather than suppress this instinct, he learned to integrate humor effectively into serious narratives.
This philosophy extends to counseling other artists who don't appreciate their gifts. He argues that since talent is given freely, artists must explore its full potential rather than settling for mediocre applications. The search for optimal talent utilization becomes a lifelong journey of discovering what you can uniquely contribute through your specific combination of abilities.
5. Embrace genuine sentiment while avoiding sentimentality
Modern literature courses often confuse sentiment with sentimentality, leading writers to strip emotion from their work. Koontz distinguishes between the two: sentimentality involves over-the-top emotional manipulation, while genuine sentiment connects readers to universal human experiences. Sentimentality might involve piling tragic circumstances unrealistically, while sentiment emerges naturally from authentic character situations.
Writers should pursue maximum genuine sentiment because it creates the sympathy and empathy that connect readers to characters. When emotion flows naturally from character circumstances without forced manipulation, readers identify with the feelings and experiences. This connection inspires people to deal with their own life challenges.
Some contemporary writers maintain such emotional distance that their work becomes admirable for technical skill but fails to move readers. Koontz cites Joan Didion as an example of cold, clear prose that lacks emotional engagement except in her book about losing her husband. Fiction stripped of sentiment loses its power to inspire and connect with human experience.
6. Maintain single point of view per scene
One of Koontz's fundamental writing rules prohibits entering multiple characters' minds within a single scene. He considers this technique one of fiction's worst developments because it breaks the illusion of reality. When writers jump between character thoughts in one scene, the work stops being a novel and becomes the author directly addressing readers.
This rule forces intimate engagement with each viewpoint character rather than puppet-master manipulation. When you must stay within one character's perspective per scene, you develop deeper understanding of that character's voice, thoughts, and motivations. This constraint makes metaphors and descriptions flow naturally from the scene's narrator rather than feeling imposed by the author.
The approach creates stronger reader connection because each scene maintains consistent perspective and voice. Readers can fully inhabit one character's experience without jarring perspective shifts that remind them they're reading constructed fiction. This technique may seem limiting, but it actually enhances character development and reader immersion.
7. Use metaphors to seduce rather than dazzle
Effective metaphors should draw readers deeper into the story rather than showcasing the author's cleverness. Koontz emphasizes that metaphors must feel natural to the character narrating the scene, not imposed by the author. A brilliant metaphor that calls attention to itself actually pulls readers out of the narrative flow.
Metaphors and similes should reinforce the scene's mood while describing settings more colorfully than simple adjectives. They function like poetry, using words to convey more than their literal meaning and create specific emotional states. The goal is making language flow naturally while adding layers of meaning.
The key is ensuring every figure of speech matches the perspective and voice of the scene's narrator. In tense scenes, metaphors should carry tension. In contemplative moments, they should reflect that mood. This approach makes metaphors feel organic to the story rather than authorial show-offs that break narrative immersion.
8. Find mystery and meaning in ordinary lives
Koontz's characters typically aren't special agents or superheroes but rather bartenders, fry cooks, and people with intellectual disabilities. He believes extraordinary goodness often emerges from ordinary circumstances, particularly from those who have suffered without being destroyed by their experiences. This philosophy stems from observing how real wisdom and compassion develop through life's challenges.
His character with a 75 IQ becomes the wisest person in his novel, demonstrating that intelligence measured by conventional standards doesn't determine a person's capacity for insight or positive impact. These characters often possess an enchanting quality that changes lives around them without fully realizing their influence.
This approach reflects Koontz's belief that suffering, when it doesn't destroy you, builds compassion and courage. People who overcome difficult circumstances often develop the strength to help others in ways that privileged individuals cannot. The stories celebrate the profound meaning found in lives that others might consider inconsequential, showing how every existence has potential for significant positive impact.
9. Trust the mysterious creative process
Throughout his career, Koontz has experienced ideas arriving from seemingly nowhere, sometimes through dreams or sudden inspiration. His "Odd Thomas" series began when the line "My name is Odd Thomas. I lead an unusual life" appeared in his mind while working on a different book. He wrote thirty pages by hand, something he'd never done before or since.
These mysterious creative moments suggest that the writing process involves more than conscious planning and technique. Ideas sometimes emerge fully formed or arrive through unexpected connections, like hearing a Paul Simon lyric that sparked an entire novel concept. The key is remaining open to these experiences and trusting them even when they seem to come from beyond rational explanation.
This openness to mystery extends to Koontz's worldview, where he sees patterns and synchronicities that suggest deeper meaning in existence. He believes the more you notice these connections, the more they seem to occur. For writers, this awareness creates endless fascinating material because every life becomes a potential adventure toward meaning rather than a series of random events.
10. Balance discipline with openness to inspiration
Despite his appreciation for mystery and inspiration, Koontz maintains rigorous daily discipline, writing from sunrise to sunset. He loves the actual process of writing, not just having written, which allows him to sustain this intense schedule without burnout. This combination of mystical awareness and practical work ethic seems contradictory but proves essential for sustained creative output.
The discipline creates space for inspiration to emerge. By showing up consistently at the keyboard, he's available when ideas arrive unexpectedly. His page-by-page perfectionist approach, while slow, allows time for subconscious processing that often reveals better solutions than quick first-draft approaches.
This balance suggests that professional writing requires both receptivity to creative mystery and commitment to craft fundamentals. The willingness to work systematically creates the foundation that supports inspired moments when they occur. Neither pure inspiration nor mere technique alone produces lasting creative work, but their combination enables both prolific output and artistic depth.