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Movies have influenced all writers, not just thriller writers.
Ken Follett
All Writers
Thriller
Writers
Just
Influenced
Movies
The CIA's research program is described in a book called The Search for the Manchurian Candidate.
Ken Follett
CIA
Book
Research
Candidate
Search
Program
The thriller is the most popular literary genre of the 20th century.
Ken Follett
Thriller
Most
Genre
Literary
Century
Popular
An awful lot of thriller writers write women rather badly. So just doing it OK gets a lot of credit.
Ken Follett
Women
OK
Rather
Thriller
Write
Writers
Badly
Doing
Lot
Gets
Just
Credit
Awful
Awful Lot
My favorite period is World War II, and I'm in the middle of writing my fourth novel set in that era.
Ken Follett
War
Writing
World
Favorite
Period
Era
Middle
Novel
Fourth
World War
Set
World War II
Thrillers have been traditionally very masculine books; the women characters often rather decorative.
Ken Follett
Women
Books
Characters
Rather
Thrillers
Masculine
Been
Very
Often
Decorative
I use a professional researcher in New York who does all the legwork, all that stuff which would take me days and weeks of calling, waiting for people to call back.
Ken Follett
Me
Waiting
People
Back
Would
Weeks
Take
Stuff
New
Days
Call
Calling
Does
York
New York
Which
Use
Researcher
Who
Professional
When I'm writing a woman character, I don't think, 'What would a woman do?' I just think, 'What would this character do in this situation?'
Ken Follett
Character
Woman
Writing
Situation
Think
Would
Just
For success, the author must make the reader care about the destiny of the principals, and sustain this anxiety, or suspense, for about 100,000 words.
Ken Follett
Success
Anxiety
Words
Care
Destiny
Must
About
Make
Principals
Reader
Author
Suspense
Sustain
The research is the easiest. The outline is the most fun. The first draft is the hardest, because every word of the outline has to be fleshed out. The rewrite is very satisfying.
Ken Follett
Word
First
Research
Every
Easiest
Out
Outline
Most
Because
Very
Rewrite
Fun
Satisfying
Hardest
Draft
We all now tell stories by cutting from one dramatic scene to the next, whereas Victorian novelists felt free to write long passages of undramatic summary.
Ken Follett
Free
Long
Dramatic
Summary
Tell
Scene
Write
Felt
Passages
Whereas
Stories
Victorian
Cutting
Next
Novelists
Now
I read mostly fiction, a lot of 19th-century novels.
Ken Follett
Mostly
Read
Lot
Fiction
Novels
I am very fond of Edith Wharton. She's quite high brow but also a great storyteller. My favorite is 'The House of Mirth.' I also like 'The Reef.'
Ken Follett
Great
Favorite
High
Brow
Fond
Mirth
Like
House
Also
She
Am
Very
Quite
Storyteller
It's great that in the German language I've sold almost 30 million books. Isn't that amazing?
Ken Follett
Great
Amazing
Language
Sold
Books
Almost
German
Million
I wanted to be some kind of captain of industry. Then I wanted to be in advertising, and then I wanted to be a newspaper reporter.
Ken Follett
Kind
Some
Advertising
Industry
Reporter
Wanted
Newspaper
Newspaper Reporter
Then
Captain
I started writing stories in my spare time.
Ken Follett
Time
Writing
Stories
Spare
Spare Time
Started
I'm a great planner, so before I ever write chapter 1, I work out what happens in every chapter and who the characters are. I usually spend a year on the outline.
Ken Follett
Work
Great
Chapter
Year
Before
Every
Spend
Out
Characters
Outline
Write
Happens
Work Out
Planner
Who
Ever
I wake up with the story in my head, so I really like to be at my desk about five minutes after I wake up. So I don't get dressed. I put on a bathrobe, I make tea and sit at my desk.
Ken Follett
Wake Up
Sit
Tea
Minutes
Dressed
About
Put
Head
Like
Make
Wake
Up
Five
Get
After
Story
Really
Desk
With the World War II era, there's so much written material to draw on. When you go back to the 14th century, you have to imagine more.
Ken Follett
War
You
World
Back
Draw
More
Written
Material
Era
Go
Century
Much
World War
Imagine
World War II
I aim to be translucent, so you don't notice the words, just their meaning. I haven't much insight into people's motivations.
Ken Follett
You
People
Words
Aim
Insight
Motivations
Just
Meaning
Much
Notice
I like reading history, and actually most authors enjoy the research part because it is, after all, easier than writing.
Ken Follett
History
Writing
Reading
Research
Enjoy
Easier
Part
Like
Most
Because
Than
Authors
After
Actually
People come up to me in pubs - gay pubs, mind you - and can't believe that I'm gay.
Luke Evans
Me
Gay
You
People
Mind
Believe
Come
Up
Pubs
Singing seems to be inherent in Filipino, just as it is in my race. That's why I have this affinity with Filipinos.
Luke Evans
Singing
Seems
Affinity
Just
Race
Inherent
Filipino
Why
Most men have an insecurity of some sort. But we're brought up to believe that we can't show them.
Luke Evans
Insecurity
Men
Believe
Some
Brought
Most
Sort
Up
Them
Show
The fascination for the Great Train Robbery has never diminished.
Luke Evans
Great
Diminished
Never
Robbery
Train
Fascination
I look in the mirror, and I don't mind what I see.
Luke Evans
Mind
Mirror
See
Look
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