April
asked
Erik Larson:
I love your books and I'm fascinated by your writing. As a librarian and educator, I'd love to hear about your research process. How do you piece together all the little facts and conversations in your books? Do you spend hours upon hours sifting through archives? Are you physically going to special libraries for information?
Erik Larson
I'd need to write a book to answer your questions. First as to piecing things together: The most valuable tactic I've got is spreading my completed rough draft out on the floor and then physically cutting everything up and moving it around. Very powerful.
As to physically going to libraries (and archives): YES! That's the fun part. I love traveling to archives, all over the world. Online research is fine, but there's no substitute for the real thing, for going to the scene of the crime if you will. It's important to have a physical connection with your research materials.
As to physically going to libraries (and archives): YES! That's the fun part. I love traveling to archives, all over the world. Online research is fine, but there's no substitute for the real thing, for going to the scene of the crime if you will. It's important to have a physical connection with your research materials.
More Answered Questions
Don Campese
asked
Erik Larson:
I have read almost all of your books except Naked Consumer. I heard you speak in Philadelphia last week; I am STILL going to read this book. Have you ever considered changing the formula of your novels (historical event plus infamous character) to give yourself a different style of writing?
Ivy
asked
Erik Larson:
Mr. Larson, I recently saw the film Imitation Game after finishing your latest book, Dead Wake. I may be misinterpreting the information, but in your book you credit the British with having a code book that allowed them to intercept and decode German communications. In the film about Alan Turing, it seems like his invention was what provided the means for cracking German codes. How do these two pieces fit together?
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