Ideas
Explore the world's #1 largest database of ideas and innovations, with 460,503 inspiring examples.
Trend Reports
Discover why 1,240 brands rely on our AI-powered Trend Reports to get better, faster insights.
Newsletter
Join 321,097 subscribers who rely on our weekly newsletter to keep up with need-to-know trends and insights.
How to Hunt
Learn more about how to hunt megatrends, ideas, patterns and opportunity.
Consumer Insights
Uncover major shifts and emerging opportunities with our exclusive PRO research.
Trend Reports
Discover why 1,240 brands rely on our AI-powered Trend Reports to get better, faster insights.
Newsletter
Join 321,097 subscribers who rely on our weekly newsletter to keep up with need-to-know trends and insights.
How to Hunt
Learn more about how to hunt megatrends, ideas, patterns and opportunity.
Advisory & Services
Accelerate innovation and ignite disruptive thinking with our award-winning programs and research.
Trend Reports
Get fast, customized trend reports, presentations and deep dives 20x faster than traditional research.
Plans
Get started today with a free consultation, our self-serve tools, or a dedicated program.
Articles & Magazine
Get inspired with our 4,210 innovation strategy articles, keynote, videos and innovation tools.
Innovation Awards
Trend Hunter’s Innovation Strategy Awards recognize the best innovation tactics gathered from our interviews with some of the world's most notable business leaders, authors and change makers.
Advisory & Services
Accelerate innovation and ignite disruptive thinking with our award-winning programs and research.
Innovation Assessment
Enhance your innovation potential with a deeper understanding of your unique innovation archetype and how your organization benchmarks.
FuturistU
Prepare for the years ahead with 100+ lessons, tactics, tools and frameworks with our full learning database.
Innovation Books
Join 20,000,000 people getting better and faster with our New York Times Bestselling books and keynote videos.
Jeremy Gutsche
Ignite your event or virtual event with our CEO, a NY Times Bestselling Author and one of the top innovation keynote speakers.
Our Team of Speakers & Virtual Presenters
Inspire your group with our most popular speakers on innovation, trends, change and futurism.
Custom Training & Events
Bring the Future Festival experience directly to your team or co-hosted custom event.
Custom Masterclasses
Join the world's leading brands who leverage our custom programs to accelerate innovation.
FuturistU 5-Day Program
Become a Futurist with our immersive 5-Day program at Future Festival World Summit.
Online eLearning
Learn the fundamentals of futurism and trends with 100+ online courses about innovation.
How to Hunt
Learn more about how to hunt megatrends, ideas, patterns and opportunity.
Contact
Get in touch to learn more, ask a question or submit a tip.
About Us
Learn more about Trend Hunter and how we accelerate innovation.
Follow-Us
Join our 3,500,000 social media followers, on the cutting edge.
How to Hunt
Learn more about how to hunt megatrends, ideas, patterns and opportunity.
FAQ
Get answers to common questions about Trend Hunter.
Community
Stay on the cutting-edge with the help of the Trend Hunter community.
Team
Meet the team trusted by hundreds of leading businesses worldwide.
Jobs
Find opportunities to accelerate your career with the #1 Trend Firm.
News
Catch up on noteworthy Trend Hunter news and media mentions.
Join
Build a portfolio and put your trend-spotting abilities to the test.
Advertising
Supercharge your marketing by partnering with Trend Hunter.
Portfolio
Visit your public portfolio and browse your past articles.
Add a Trend
Write up an article and showcase your trend-spotting skills.
My Trends
Edit your articles and see how they stack up on the leaderboards.
Settings
Edit your profile, connect your social media accounts, and more.
Add a trend, customize your dashboard, or track topics.
Future Festival
Innovation Events
Join the world's top innovators at our in person events.
Free Webinars
Learn to innovate through chaos, navigate the new normal and maintain work culture from home.
Custom Training & Events
Bring the Future Festival experience directly to your team or co-hosted custom event.
Search our database of 460,503 cutting edge ideas.

Michael Connelly, Author of "The Scarecrow" (INTERVIEW)

— August 7, 2009 — Business
Michael Connelly started off his successful writing career writing for newspapers where he specialized in crime. After winning the Pulitzer Prize for a magazine story, Michael became a crime reporter for the Los Angeles Times.

From there, Michael Connelly's career seemed to skyrocket, and soon he became a regular New York Times best-selling author. His current book, “The Scarecrow,” is another fast-paced thriller, and should be flying off shelves this summer.

10 Questions With Michael Connelly

1. How did you get involved in writing and what motivates you to continue?

I guess I got involved through reading. At age twelve the reading bug bit me and about seven years later it changed into something else when I decided that I would like to try to write the kind of stories I liked to read.

What motivates me to write is both the challenge and opportunity. The challenge is to get better at it, and the opportunity is to write about a given place and time and to try to document it and describe how one character makes sense of it.

2. How significant are the topics of cool hunting and trend spotting in the world of writing?

I think no matter what your profession, it’s good if you can ride out there on the front of the wave. In writing, you can anticipate the future and write about it, or you can write very contemporary stories that inform and caution the reader: This is where we are and this is where we are going. It gives you the opportunity to ask the reader the question, "Is this where we want to go?"

3. How do you define a trend?

For me it’s simply something that starts popping up again and again, first seen as coincidence and then understood as being the new paradigm.

4. How do you define cool?

Something is cool if it feels unique, whether it really is or not. Something that is fresh and non-static is cool.

5. Do you need a culture of innovation to create something that is cool?

You need innovation but not necessarily a culture of innovation. I think a lot of things that are branded as cool come out of a culture that is anti-innovation and as such are revolutionary.

6. What is the best way to create an infectious idea, product or service?

To keep your head down and to create for yourself. You have to believe that if you find or create the thing that pleases you, then it will have a place in the crowd.

7. What is the key to innovation?

Dissatisfaction and ego. Being bored with the status quo and thinking enough of yourself to believe you could change things and make them better.

8. Professionally, what do you want to be doing or studying in 10 years?

I want to still be writing but telling stories that are more relevant and reflective of the time. I want to be studying the accomplishments of my grown daughter.

9. What are your most important hobbies?

Golf because it is so hard to do well that you must clear your mind of all things not golf. When you do that, new things slip back in. It can be a very creative time for me.

10. How do you reset yourself to become creative?

Often I play music before I begin to write. Something about it inspires me.
Trend Themes
1. Riding the Wave - Opportunity to anticipate and write about the future, informing and cautioning readers about where we are and where we're going.
2. The New Paradigm - Recognizing recurring patterns that signal a shift in the norm, leading to innovative ideas and perspectives.
3. Fresh and Non-static - The appeal of uniqueness and dynamism in creating cool and compelling content.
Industry Implications
1. Publishing - Opportunity to pioneer new genres and write about emerging trends, capturing readers' interests.
2. Media and Journalism - Using trend spotting to predict and report on the future, providing valuable insights to audiences.
3. Creative Arts - Creating infectious ideas, stories, and content that captivate and resonate with audiences.
3.9
Score
Popularity
Activity
Freshness