Interview

Talking With
Lisa Scottoline

MOMENT OF TRUTH, Lisa Scottoline’s seventh legal thriller, is flying off the stands at a rate matching the pace of her novels. Harper Audio has simultaneously released MOMENT OF TRUTH in both abridged and unabridged formats, read by two of the top names in the industry. Scottoline (her name, she told us, rhymes with “fettuccine”) draws on her experience as a trial lawyer and a judicial clerk to create believable and entertaining thrillers. People magazine called her “the female John Grisham.” “I’m flattered,” she told AudioFile. “By the same token, I don’t think anybody could read a page of Grisham and a page of mine and mistake the two. He has so few Italian girls, for one thing, and there are no golden retrievers.”

Lisa loves the sound of talk. “I listen to lots of things all the time, even when I work. I have the radio on; I like to listen to NPR and the call-in shows. I listen to the way people talk and the expressions they use. Words form the background music of my books. It actually helps the writing. I have actually managed to convince my family that this is research and have since come to believe it myself.”

Scottoline applauds the actresses who have narrated her books—a list that includes Barbara Rosenblat, Kate Burton and Karen Allen. “They’re wonderful. I love the interpretation, accent and cadence each brings to the material.” Asked if she would ever perform one of her own books, she admits, “I fantasize about it, resolving to talk slower and hide my Philadelphia accent. Then I realize that I cannot act. The narration of a book isn’t simply the reading of it, it’s the acting of it. And I’m way out of my depth.”

Does she mind having her books abridged? “I’m honored to be in both abridged and unabridged, and I like both, not only in my own books, but in others. It really depends on mood, time or, for people like me who listen in the car, the length of the trip. The abridged versions of my novels teach me humility. I review and change each script for
the abridged version and am amazed at how much can be cut and still have the plot, character and flavor of the novel survive. I worked so hard over those deleted sentences! It’s a humbling reminder that less really can be more.”

Lisa enjoys hearing others read her words, “laughing at my own punch lines or weeping at sad parts. The act of listening to the tapes is truly an out-of-body-experience, even from behind the wheel. It’s my book, but it’s not my book, and I listen like a mother, hoping that the book gets applause, but knowing that if it does, it’s the actress’s and not mine. I’m always aware of how important the aural component of any book is. For that reason, every time I write, I choose words based on their sounds. In fact, I speak every sentence of my books in my office. I want every sentence to sound natural. For a book to have a fast pace, which is what I strive for, the sentence has to advance the story—and vividly. The words can’t draw attention to themselves, puzzle the reader or even give him pause. It takes time to craft a sentence like that, and listening to the audiobook makes me realize where I went wrong and how I can be a better writer.” —Steven Steinbock

APR/MAY 00