Dan Brown: 8 Facts About the Bestselling Thriller Author
Having sold over 250 million copies worldwide, Dan Brown is one of the bestselling authors of all time. His treasure hunt thrillers are full of puzzles and secrets, and keep the reader on the edge of their seats. Here are 8 interesting facts about the author…
1) The Giraffe, the Pig and the Pants on Fire
The first book Dan Brown ever wrote was The Giraffe, the Pig and the Pants on Fire. He put it together as a kid, and dedicated it to his mum.
2) Dan’s father was published too
Dan wasn’t the first Brown to get into print! Brown’s father has been published, too – but with a very different type of book. Richard G Brown was a maths teacher who wrote text books on topics such as algebra.
3) Christmas day treasure hunts
Having a maths teacher for a father encouraged Brown’s interest in ciphers, anagrams and puzzles from a young age. On Christmas day, Dan wouldn’t come downstairs to find presents under the tree – his parents instead arranged a treasure hunt each year, where he’d have to solve codes and puzzles to uncover his presents, which were sometimes hidden around the house, and sometimes hidden around the town.
4) Brown released a children’s cassette
Once Brown finished college, he actually wanted to become a singer songwriter, and produced a children’s cassette called Synth Animals, which sold a few hundred copies.
5) Brown started his own record company
After his children’s cassette, Brown started his own record company in the very early 90s. The company was called Dalliance. Through his company, he released a CD called Perspective, but it wasn’t a success, and Brown had to take to teaching in schools to support himself.
6) Brown’s wife did the PR for his first book
Brown’s first novel, Digital Fortress, was published in 1998. Although it was published by St. Martin’s Press, Dan’s wife, Blythe, actually did most of the PR for the book. She did the majority of the press releases, and booked her husband to appear at talks and events to promote the book.
7) Early riser
Every author has a different writing habit – and Dan Brown likes to start his writing early each day. Every morning, he walks up, grabs a spinach smoothie and a coffee, and sits down at his desk at 4am, straight after waking up, so that he can be as close to the ‘dream state’ as possible.
8) The future of Robert Langdon
When asked if he had many more stories planned for his popular protagonist, Robert Langdon, Brown revealed that he actually had 12 ideas in mind for future novels – so there’s no immediate end in sight for the symbologist’s adventures.
There you have it – 8 facts about Dan Brown!