This is a global, original podcast.

Paul McKenna's positivity podcast.

Hello, this is Paul McKenna, and welcome to the positivity podcast.

My objective is to interview the most interesting people in the world,

and in the next 30 minutes, get insights and even discover how it is that they do what they do,

what makes them unique and fascinating, their success

mindset, and certainly what keeps them positive.

My guest today is a novelist and screenwriter. His work includes the Alex Riders series

in Foyles War. He was chosen by the Arthur Conan Doyle estate to write Sherlock Holmes

novels and by the Ian Fleming estate to write James Bond novels.

I'm talking today with Anthony Horowitz.

I do not start writing a book until I have a pretty good idea

what is going to be in about 70% of it.

And to me, that planning, thinking, structuring process is the most, first, the most creative time.

Secondly, probably the most enjoyable time, because writing itself can be a bit of a slog.

And thirdly, it's the most exciting time is this book takes shape in my imagination.

The secret of happiness, the secrets of a good life is to find the one thing you love doing

and do it, and never let anyone stop you from doing it.

I don't look back.

I think that there is, it's negative energy, you know, books,

it's like that I don't read what I've written.

I don't try and rewrite books, or I have done it past,

...