Elizabeth
asked
Erik Larson:
What's your fact-checking process? What are your criteria for a trustworthy source? Do you have interns who occasionally look like they want to jump out the window? (I work for a journalist and so different writers' fact-checking philosophies/processes fascinate me...)
Erik Larson
First of all, I do all my own research. That's half the fun and I don't want to share. As to fact-checking, I do that when I compile my footnotes. It's always a bit mystifying, however, because no matter how thorough I am, no matter how careful, little errors always creep in. It happens too that sometimes the source that I'm quoting had the information wrong in the first place, and I only learn of it when some astute reader tips me off. Happily, with modern printing techniques, these can be readily fixed in subsequent printings.
More Answered Questions
Amy Lenarz
asked
Erik Larson:
It's always obvious when reading your books that you've done a huge amount of research. What kind of system do you use to organize all the information you find? Do you have stacks of manila folders? Post-it notes on every surface? Some kind of software? It seems like so much to keep track of!
Laurie
asked
Erik Larson:
Isaac's Storm is my all-time favorite of your books. You described being in a hurricane so vividly. It still haunts me to this day. I love how you structured the book similar to the Devil in the White City, but the hurricane was the dark side. What called you to write about this hurricane in Galveston?
Glynn
asked
Erik Larson:
I just finished Thunderstruck which I completely enjoyed. I noticed when reading it that you referred to the Lusitania a few times (in the story and also in the notes) and was wondering if you used some of your research for Thunderstruck in the writing of your new book or do you just start over researching for a book? Thanks!
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