Odilon Duval-Robert
asked
Elan Mastai:
Elan, thank you for the amazing book, I really enjoyed it and there are now two questions I would like to ask you : - You answered below that you defined a structure before writing the actual content. How much of the original plan do you end up keeping ? - Do you feel it is absolutely necessary to ask proper specialists about specific subjects or could traditional research give enough legitimacy to your writing ?
Elan Mastai
Thanks very much, Odilon.
1. I kept the structure pretty much intact. But details within that structure—the muscles, nerves, and organs inside the skeleton—evolved as I got to know the characters better through the writing process.
2. I don't think it's necessary to consult specialists if you have a good head for research and a good eye for telling details. Of course a proper expert will likely be able to tell you things about the subject that you may never otherwise find. So it depends on how crucial the research is to your story versus just some interesting shading to the plot.
1. I kept the structure pretty much intact. But details within that structure—the muscles, nerves, and organs inside the skeleton—evolved as I got to know the characters better through the writing process.
2. I don't think it's necessary to consult specialists if you have a good head for research and a good eye for telling details. Of course a proper expert will likely be able to tell you things about the subject that you may never otherwise find. So it depends on how crucial the research is to your story versus just some interesting shading to the plot.
More Answered Questions
Randall
asked
Elan Mastai:
I really enjoyed the audiobook and noticed you narrated it as well. I thought the performance matched the tone of the book perfectly. It actually sounded a lot like the way Ira Glass and others tell stories on the podcast "This American Life." Was that the voice you had in your head for Tom while writing, or were you coached on it later before recording? And will you do the narration for your next book too?
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