Interview with Ken Follett

Welsh writer Ken Follett keeps his storytelling rooted in real-life events. Since 1974, he's covered World War II espionage in the historical spy novel Eye of the Needle, explored CIA ops in 1980s Afghanistan in the thriller Lie Down with Lions, and charted the workings of a medieval cathedral from its construction through the Black Plague in The Pillars of the Earth and its sequel, World Without End.

Follett's latest foray returns to the recent past with the Century Trilogy, an ambitious project that will chronicle the major events of the last 100 years. The first book, Fall of Giants, opens in 1911 and follows five families—Welsh, English, American, Russian, and German—and a gargantuan cast of characters who witness the carnage of World War I and the chaos of the Russian Revolution. Follett shared with Goodreads his love of James Bond and his prediction that he will write a million words by the time his epic trilogy reaches the Cold War.

Goodreads: After spending so much time in the Middle Ages for The Pillars of the Earth and World Without End, what about the 20th century emboldened you to start fresh in a very different time period?

Ken Follett: I wanted to write another story that would have the sweep and impact of World Without End, but I needed a break from the Middle Ages. The 20th century is the most dramatic and violent era in human history, and it's also recent enough for us to connect with: It's the story of us and our parents and grandparents.

GR: In Fall of Giants, World War I is examined by characters on both sides of the conflict. As the spouse of a former Member of Parliament, you have an insider's view of British government and have often been politically active. When writing about historical events, is it necessary—or even possible—for a writer to shed the filter of his or her national or political allegiances?

KF: It helps that I'm not English. I'm Welsh, so I come from a country that was conquered by the English. I find it easy to distance myself from the kind of gung-ho patriotism that says my country is always right. And in a novel you have to understand all sides.

GR: Goodreads member Darlene would like to know "where he traveled while researching Fall of Giants and if any one place stands out in his mind."

KF: I was already familiar with most of the locations: St. Petersburg, Berlin, Paris, London, and Washington. I was born in South Wales, where the Williams family live. I drew on the two times I went down a coal mine, which I did for A Place Called Freedom. There is nothing quite like that realization that you have half a mile of earth over your head, held up by a roof prop that suddenly looks terribly flimsy.

GR: Readers who have long noted your predilection for strong, interesting female characters will be pleased to meet Maud and Ethel and see that the cause of women's suffrage is an important component of Fall of Giants. With so many historical themes to consider, what inspired you to include this critical piece of women's history?

KF: The greatest social change of the last hundred years is the change in the role of women. Victorian women believed they were inferior to men; my daughters take it for granted that they are equal. This did not happen by accident: Women fought a tough political battle and won.

GR: More than 120 characters are helpfully listed at the beginning of Fall of Giants, including historical figures such as Winston Churchill and Woodrow Wilson. How do you map out the character arcs of such a large cast, giving each major player enough time and space to develop?

KF: The main characters have to have an emotional stake in just about every scene. That's what keeps us turning the pages. Secondary characters need to have some vivid traits to help the reader remember them. I make a spreadsheet of my characters and refer back every time I bring someone onstage.

GR: Goodreads member Rosechimera writes, "Your depiction of characters is complex and realistic. In Hammer of Eden, for example, Priest is somewhat of a sociopath, but he can also show a degree of concern, like when his daughter is arrested. What informs your understanding of different personality traits and the composite of behaviors that your characters have?"

KF: Authors don't have special knowledge, or at any rate not much; what we have is imagination, and we use that to try to get inside the skin of characters and understand why the things they do seem right to them.

GR: First published in 1974, you've been writing for nearly four decades. Goodreads member Rob Boone asks, "How does your current writing process differ from that of your earlier years?"

KF: The technology has changed, from typewriter to computer, but my methods are the same: I make a detailed plan, write the first draft, then rewrite it. The turning points were Eye of the Needle, my first success, and The Pillars of the Earth, which took me to a whole new audience.

GR: Describe a typical day spent writing. Do you have any unusual writing habits?

KF: I like to start early, usually at 7 a.m., and with breaks for the usual chores, such as shaving and lunch, I work until about 5 p.m. I do e-mails and phone calls for an hour. Then I like to have a glass of champagne.

GR: What authors, books, or ideas have influenced you?

KF: When I was 12, I read Live and Let Die by Ian Fleming. It blew me away. Ten years later, when I started to write fiction, my aim was to give readers the kind of excitement I had got from James Bond.

GR: Do you have any favorite books or authors? And what are you reading now?

KF: My favorite author is Edith Wharton, who writes about uptight people whose lives are upset by sexual passion. Right now I'm reading Island Beneath the Sea by Isabel Allende. It's about slaves in Haiti, perfect material for a writer who is so good at the sensual side of life: smells, food, vegetation, sultry heat.

GR: What are you working on now? What can readers expect in Book Two and Book Three of the Century Trilogy?

KF: I've written about 100 pages of the second book, which is called The Winter of the World. Book Three will be about the Cold War. The whole trilogy will end in 1989 with the fall of the Berlin Wall. By then I will have written about a million words.