Today I speak with James Frey, whose newest book, My Friend Leonard has recently appeared on the New York Times bestseller list. He's also got the acclaimed A Million Little Pieces under his belt, along with several screenplays as well, plus he's working on a television pilot.

Was it your idea to blog for your book or your publisher's? Is it difficult to keep that going on a book tour?
My editor and I had talked about putting up a site for a couple of years. We were both either too busy or too lazy to do anything about it. The main reasons for a site were to have some sort of central location for people to get information about me and the books, and for people to be able to write to me. I've gotten about ten thousand letters and emails in the last two years. The sheer volume was sort of shocking, especially considering it wasn't easy to navigate through the Random House website and figure out how to email me. The Net can be a huge tool if used properly. We wanted to set up a mailing list so that we could contact all of the people who write to me and give them updates and ask for their support with the new book. We also wanted to provide some pace where they could talk to each other, post thoughts and and messages. As we were putting together the site, a blog seemed like a natural thing to have on it. It only takes a couple minutes to update it, I think people dig it. Lets them feel some sort of closer connection, which is what I hope to have with readers.

When you write about personal experiences, how do you handle readers who want to share their own experiences? Do you welcome them or prefer to keep them a bit separate?
I appreciate my readers. They pay my bills, support my work and my life. I appreciate the stories they share with me. If they can invest the time and money to purchase and read my work, I can show them the respect of listening to or reading their stories. It's very gratifying and very humbling to have people open up to me they way they do.

You said that you get nervous before readings: what do you do to prepare for them?
Writers are generally solitary people. I love spending time alone. I never intended to be a public speaker or a speech-giver. Part of my job, and my responsibility to my publishers and my readers, is to make public appearances. I get fairly large crowds for a writer, anywhere from 150 to 600 people. The idea that I have to stand in front of them and open myself up to them freaks me out. For whatever reason, if I smoke a bunch of cigarettes and drink a large cup of coffee it helps me deal. Maybe the chemicals override my nerves. I don't really care as long it works.

How does TV scriptwriting compare to screenwriting?
Both have very specific structural requirements, and you have to work within them. Both are ways of presenting things for other people to use. The TV process is much quicker, much more efficient. You write a script, you get notes and are given a period of time to fix the script and finish it. When it's done, know very quickly what is going to happen to it. With films, shit takes forever, and there is often no rhyme or reason for decisions that are made, or for why something does or doesn't happen.

How did you adapt A Million Little Pieces for screen? What control do you have as it goes into production?I just tried to write a true, faithful adaptation of the book. Tried to write something that readers would dig. I'm not sure at this point what type of control I'll have when and if it goes into production. There's no schedule right now. Time will tell.