Dennis Lehane: my obsession

iVillage: Could you elaborate on the concept of setting as character in relation to Mystic River?

Dennis Lehane: It refers to a neighbourhood, the idea of the inner-city ethnic enclave that you find in Boston, New York or Chicago. It is a vanishing phenomenon, so I tried to capture its flavour before it's gone. That's the underlining character of the book: the idea of a vanishing area. Dave Boyle called it a vanishing tribe.

I think that safer streets come with progress and a rising economic base, which sacrifice its character and the individuality. I'm worried that progress will turn us into a nation of Starbucks and shopping malls. That would be a very depressing place to live - for me, at least.

Influences

iVillage: Who are some of your favourite mystery authors?

Dennis Lehane: I would say I was influenced by Donald Westlake writing as Richard Stark. I also like James Lee Burke and Crumley's book The Last Good Kiss : A NovelThe Last Good Kiss. That book really influenced me.

iVillage: Which has been more valuable to your success, real life experiences or writing classes?

Dennis Lehane: I'm not sure that you can separate the two. They have been of equal importance to me. Writing classes are wonderful if you check your ego at the door and show up to learn.

The art of writing

iVillage: How long does it typically take you to write a novel?

Dennis Lehane: I usually need a year-and-a-half to two years.

iVillage: Do you work from an extensive outline?

Dennis Lehane: No. I find outlines too constricting. I usually have a rough sense in my head of key events. Everything else is stitching things together, linking event A to event B and so on.

iVillage: How many rewrites do you usually have to do on your books?

Dennis Lehane: That depends. I write my work out in longhand first, and then I type it up on the same day. Every book goes through at least six rewrites.

iVillage: I read that former US President Bill Clinton is a fan of yours. Have you sent a copy of your latest book to President Bush?

Dennis Lehane: President Bush doesn't exactly strike me as the 'reading type'.

iVillage: Are you sometimes surprised by how your stories end - or do you always know what's coming?

Dennis Lehane: I'm surprised by 90 per cent of my books, but never by the ending! I always know the ending in advance.