Marc Chua
asked
Chris Bohjalian:
Hi Chris, As you know, I'm a big fan of your writing. I have a question: What were your original ideas/plans in terms of {character names, etc...) and storylines in relation to the Flight Attendant? -Marc
Chris Bohjalian
It's a great question, Marc. I never write with an outline. I begin with the vaguest of premises -- in this case, an alcoholic flight attendant with profound childhood scars wakes up next to a dead body in Dubai. Then I depend upon my characters to take me by the hand and lead me through the dark of the story. That means that my books change a lot from draft to draft. When I began The Flight Attendant, I envisioned it as a 1960s set Cold War espionage drama. I was well into the story when I began to re-imagine it set in the present.
More Answered Questions
Carol Boyer
asked
Chris Bohjalian:
Hi Chris, I so wanted to get to the event at R.J. Julia's Bookstore in Madison for your book The Guest Room. However I was unable to attend. I am really hoping that you might be there again? - possibly with your new book The Sleep Walker -which sounds like an unbelievable story! A friend of mine did get to meet you in Texas and keeps on talking about how nice and interesting you were! Lucky Susan.... Thanks, Carol
Ann
asked
Chris Bohjalian:
I was intrigued by the extensive background on sleep disorders in "The Sleepwalker". As I was reading, I got the impression that you became interested in it because parasomnias are one of the mechanisms by which people end up behaving against their volition - and so you end up with tremendous potential for conflict, as you showed in the Ahlberg's marriage. What made you become interested in that? Thank you.
Stephanie
asked
Chris Bohjalian:
I attended your author event at the St Louis County Library last night and really enjoyed your talk. You mentioned that you don't know where the characters will take you when you write a book. Do you ever start to root for a character as he/she develops and then have a difficult time letting "bad" things happen to them?
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