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Harlan Coben talks "Run Away," insecurities and writer's block

Harlan Coben talks new book "Run Away"
Harlan Coben talks "Run Away," fighting through writers block and insecurities 04:54

Suspense novelist Harlan Coben's latest book starts with a man sitting on a bench in Central Park's Strawberry Fields section. When he thinks he sees his missing daughter, his heart shatters. It was inspired by a real moment in the bestselling author's life.

"I was watching one of those street musicians mangle a John Lennon tune as you will hear all the time there. I was trying to figure out how to start this book and I was like, 'What if that was my kid? What if that was my kid who'd been missing six months?' That's how the book opens. He sees this kid and when he tries to rescue her everything goes wrong," Coben told "CBS This Morning."

The book goes on to follow that father, a Wall Street financial adviser, as he searches for his daughter. He ultimately finds himself immersed in a dangerous world of crime and murder.  

The story touches on genealogy websites, viral videos, drug addiction, adoptions and more.

Coben, whose suspense novels have sold more than 70 million copies worldwide and are published in 43 languages, said he wanted to grip the reader right away. "I wanted to get you into the story and I wanted a lot of things we can relate to."

"Run Away" marks the author's 31st novel. Despite that feat, Coben said he still suffers from writer's block.

"Actually, every day I do. It's a struggle every day. Every day I feel insecure. Every day I go through all those things writers do. You just have to fight through it," he said.

Coben once even compared his rapid pace to "chronic pregnancy."  

"I said that it takes nine months. The best part is the idea, wink, wink, wink. And at the end you feel like you have a truck sitting on your bladder and you just want the dang thing out. That's what I meant, kind of like pregnancy," he said.

Elaborating on his writing process, Coben said he always knows how he's going to start and end a book. It's everything in the middle that he's unsure of.

It's like making a journey from New York to L.A. I may go Route 80, I may give you the Suez Canal or stop in Tokyo. But I'll end up in L.A."

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