'Getting intensely into the story'

 

“For me, being a writer was never achoice.  I was born one.  All through my childhood I wroteshort stories and stuffed them in drawers.  I wrote oneverything.  I didn’t do my homework so I could write.” –Laura Hillenbrand

 

Born in Fairfax, VA in May of 1967,Hillenbrand wrote massive bestselling stories about two amazing sports figuresfrom the 1930s; one the great horse Seabiscuit, the other the great 1930sOlympian Louis Zamperini. 

 

The first story became thebestselling book and award-winning movie Seabiscuit.  Thesecond, one of the most gripping reads of the past two decades and also apopular movie, was Unbroken.  The books have dominated bestsellerlists in both hardback and paperback with combined sales (to date) of more than15 million.

    

Hillenbrand’s own story is probably alsoworthy of a book as she wrote her bestsellers while experiencing debilitating painand isolation.  Confined to her home for 20 years with ChronicFatigue Syndrome, she still pressed on to create these two remarkableworks.   She says being confined while writing helped her “live”her stories more completely in her mind.

 

“I'm attracted to subjects whoovercome tremendous suffering and learn to cope emotionally with it,” shesaid.  “I'm living someone else's life. Iget very intensely into the story, into the interviews and the research. I'mexperiencing things along with my subjects. I have a freedom I don't have in myphysical life.”