Sean Tuohy: What drew you to writing?

Gene Hackman: I suppose it was my way of staying relevant. My other job, that thing I did for 60 or so years, was getting tougher as the years slipped by. The characters bouncing around in my head had to play out.

ST: You were an actor before becoming a writer. Did your training as an actor help your writing in away?

GH: Yeah, the exploration of character comes with the territory in acting.

ST: Which authors influenced you?

GH: Twain, Hemingway in my early days. Elmore Leonard. Twain told stories so simply. Hemingway had a great breadth of experience that commanded the story and Leonard was just Leonard. He once said something to the effect of, "If it sounds like writing, rewrite it."

ST: Your previous novel (Payback at Morning Peak) was a western, but Pursuit is a crime/mystery novel. Why the change in genre?

GH: Challenges are intriguing. Julie Worth seemed decent, professional. To me, it's interesting when a woman does what has traditionally been a man's job. A tough-minded female is always an exciting quandary.

ST: Pursuit starts with a bang for the hero, Sergeant Juliette Worth, when she is forced to take down a gunman in a mall. Do you believe a story needs to start with a big bang to grab the reader's attention early on or did that scene happen naturally?

GH: I believe it helps to try and hook a reader early on. As far as something coming naturally, uh-uh. Not for me. It's all teeth grinding, elbows on the floor.

ST: Pursuit has a crisp plot and a ton of character building. How did you develop your writing style? Was it something that came naturally or was it developed over time?

GH: If in fact I have a style, it came from repeated edits, friends' suggestions, and my wife's unwavering, specific read-throughs.

ST: What was the writing process like for Pursuit? Did you do a lot of research on the novel?

GH: Time was spent scouting in Missouri, taking photos, just nosing around. A female Lieutenant with the Highway Patrol who had been around quite a bit helped with the police business. Also, a close friend, a senior FBI special agent, made some great suggestions.

ST: Sergeant Worth is a no-nonsense by the book police officer but a single mother as well. Where did the idea for this multi-faceted hero come from?

GH: I was in an art class (of all places) and a gal sitting next to me introduced herself as a former forensic pathologist. It got me thinking.

ST: Will you be returning to western genre any time soon?

GH: I do have a book deal for another western but I haven't worked out that timeline yet.

ST: What advice would you give to young up-and-coming writers?

GH: Stick with it. That's number one. Believe in the editing process. Don't fall in love with your first draft. Take chances.