When asked, "Which is harder - writing the book or doing the book tour?" Mr. Silva laughed, paused, and said, "Well......I like meeting the readers, but the actual travel is a beating." He proceeded to tell some funny travel horror stories from his current tour. It's not glamorous.
Because the publishing industry is demanding, he'll return after Labor Day and hunker down to work on the next novel with the expectation that it will be completed by March 2013. He writes seven days a week, full work hours. His research is thorough and his editing precise.
He personally is not keen on social network expectations and prefers paper to e-books. He works alone and doesn't "understand the idea of writer critique groups. I'm not reading my work to a bunch of people." Silva does run words by his wife, but otherwise, he relies on his own ability as a writer to produce product.
Daniel Silva was a delightful interview. His sense of humor and his obvious intelligence gave the audience a well-rounded sense of a quiet talented man. If you haven't read any of Silva's books, seek one out now and you'll be hooked.
I never have read one of Silva's books but you've certainly got me interested. I like the way he says that he's not reading his work to a bunch of people. I belong to a crit group and there are times that I feel exactly the same! He does put in the hours. Working 7 days a week is going some.
ReplyDeleteHow interesting that he prefers to work alone and not work with a critique group. Maybe it's a guy thing. I'll have to read one of his books. Thanks for sharing.
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