Listening to an accomplished writer talk about her books and writing process—what a gift! In a long, BookTV interview, I had the pleasure of hearing Stacy Schiff discuss her career and her approach to writing:
She lets her curiosity lead her: From Antoine de Saint-Exupery, author of The Little Prince and Benjamin Franklin to Cleopatra, and the Salem witch trials, her curiosity and creativity have taken Stacy and her readers on amazing journeys of discovery. Each of these books began with a kernel of curiosity about some uncharted aspect of her subjects’ lives. In the case of Cleopatra, she was fascinated by the fact that the legendary ruler’s life story had been viewed only through the eyes of men, including Plutarch and Shakespeare.
She immerses herself in her subject: Once she chooses a subject and a provocative theme, Stacy plunges into an intense period of research, which takes her all over the world and to long-forgotten archives. Each of her books takes her about five years to complete—fully 3-1/2 years of that time is spent researching. At some point, she begins to see the arc of her story and she becomes eager to get it down on paper.
She slows down her writing: Stacy sees herself as an old-school writer. While she takes notes in archives on her computer, when it comes to her first draft, she writes the old=fashioned way, with a pencil and legal pad. This time-tested strategy “slows down” her writing she says and gives her time to think as she develops her draft. Once her first draft is down on paper, she transfers it to her computer for revision.
She hopes to “delight” her readers: While her main goal is to shed new light on her subject, she is also very mindful of her readers. She wants to take them on a journey with her and surprise and delight them with her language and unexpected discoveries.
Stay curious, lose yourself in your subject, slow down and savor your writing, and delight your readers. A wonderful recipe for success as we all write on!
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