Anna Riley asked B.A. Shapiro:

How did your other careers inform your work? I was a college professor and a high school history/econ teacher. It's an endless treasure trove of material ;) Side note...just read The Art Forger and it's a masterclass of linguistic style and pacing. My house has never been so clean (good audio books have that effect). I hope to learn much from you.

B.A. Shapiro Hi Anna: My PhD in sociology probably had the most impact. I learned to do quality research, develop a deeper understanding of how people interact with societal pressures and--believe it or not--my training in statistics is the basis of my multiple layers of plotting. If you're thinking of writing a novel, Just do it--that's what I did with no literary training at all. Best of luck. Barbara

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