You’ll find 15 quotes that resonated with me after reading dozens of interviews with David Baldacci on how he writes #1 hit books. It's loaded with pro-tips and tactics that will help you learn. Find out his attitude towards work, his outlook on life, and how he approaches the craft of writing. Enjoy!

1. ON WRITING
KEN TABOR
What Best-Selling Author David Baldacci Taught Me
About Writing A #1 Hit Book

2. https://davidbaldacci.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/DB-holding-first-copy-of-NML-e1479243557776.jpeg
In total, David has published 35 novels
for adults; all have been national and
international bestsellers, and several have
been adapted for film and television.
His novels are published in over 45
languages and in more than 80 countries,
with over 130 million worldwide sales.
https://davidbaldacci.com/about-david/
On David

3. David Baldacci is clearly one of the most popular
authors of the past 20 years. His specialty is thrilling
fiction.
I got lucky finding him. It was a chance suggestion
given to me over social media. Luckier still, I choose
“Memory Man” as my Spring Break read. I devoured it!
I wondered why? Why is this book good? What are
the author’s secrets? How might I learn how he
works?
I Googled him! You’ll find 15 quotes here that
resonated with me after reading dozens of his
interviews.
David Baldacci, I appreciate you for sharing what
you’ve learned. You’re making all of us better!
-Ken
On Finding

4. I write every novel as though it's my first. I bring
awe and trepidation and a grand sense of fear to
each project. I will never grow complacent and allow
myself to ever think I actually know what I'm doing.
Female First (http://www.femalefirst.co.uk/tv/david-baldacci-exclusive-interview-king-and-maxwell-431479.html)
01
On Respecting Craft

5. The only perfect place to write is in your head. Spend
less time on assembling a physical place to write or
superstitiously gathering the perfect pen, desk or
writing hours and get your mind in the zone. Immerse
yourself in the story to such an extent that that’s all
you want to work on wherever you happen to be.
Gotham Writers (https://www.writingclasses.com/toolbox/author-q-a/david-baldacci)
02
On Starting

6. Write about what you’re passionate about. Don’t
chase trends because you will always be like three
or four trends behind. But if you’re passionate about
something and you write about it, I guarantee it
would lift your pages out of the sludge pile the
editors and agents have on their desks, because
most people will write for the wrong reasons.
Interviewing Authors (http://interviewingauthors.com/david-baldacci-launching-new-series-memory-man/)
03
On Passion

7. I know what it’s like to be frustrated and years go by
and nothing is selling and you think, “Well, it’s just not
going to happen for me.” So I understand that very
well. I didn’t sell my first book until I was in my
mid-30s. I’ve been writing a long time. So I had great
empathy for people out there on the other side who
are trying to break in and I help them as much as I can.
Interviewing Authors (http://interviewingauthors.com/david-baldacci-launching-new-series-memory-man/)
04
On Supporting

8. “I was one of those kids who constantly told tall
tales,” Baldacci said. “My mom bought me a journal
and said, ‘Why don’t you try writing this stuff
down?’ I did and thought, ‘My god, I can write
something that other people can read and enjoy
just like I do when I open a book.’ Years later, I went
back to my mom and said, ‘My god, what a great
gift you gave me.’ She said, ‘I’m so glad it worked
so well for you, honey, but frankly, I just wanted to
shut you the hell up.'”
wtop (https://wtop.com/entertainment/2018/02/qa-david-baldacci-dishes-on-virginia-roots-new-will-robie-book-end-game/)
05
On Receiving Support

9. I feel like I have a very distinctive understanding of
how a story should be put together and how to
grab the reader's attention right away. I'm really
big into character development. The books I've
loved, I can't tell you a lot about plot lines, but I
can tell you about the characters. I build great
characters and put them into interesting stories.
The Roanoke Times (http://www.roanoke.com/webmin/community/q-a-with-with-author-and-part-time-lake-resident/article_eb014a8c-9d75-5034-9a6e-0bc6ae4a355e.html)
06
On Characters

10. In books I want to be descriptive, I want to put you
in the moment, feel the atmosphere, to give you a
character who’s interesting and who you can grow to
care about for some reason, either like or hate. And
give them an interesting problem they have to solve.
The Daily Beast (https://www.thedailybeast.com/how-i-write-david-baldacci)
07
On Interest

11. I’m very much a writer who lets the story develop. I
don’t plot everything out, and I have no idea how
the book is going to end when I sit down to write
it. I wouldn’t want to, because then it’d feel like I’m
writing to an outline. It would feel like a drudge.
The Daily Beast (https://www.thedailybeast.com/how-i-write-david-baldacci)
08
On Relaxing

12. What’s your favorite genre to read? And to write?
I don’t have a favorite. I read them all, everything
from fiction to nonfiction and all genres and
subgenres in between. Read, read, read. If nothing
else, it’ll make you vastly more interesting at parties.
New York Times (https://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/30/books/review/david-baldacci-by-the-book.html)
09
On Reading

13. I tell people who want to be writers: It's going to be
a tough road with a lot of blows to your ego. If you
don't love doing it, don't write. People love to trash
other people's writing. It's one of those professions
where a lot of people feel like anybody can do it.
The Roanoke Times (http://www.roanoke.com/webmin/community/q-a-with-with-author-and-part-time-lake-resident/article_eb014a8c-9d75-5034-9a6e-0bc6ae4a355e.html)
10
On Criticism

14. I like to write about things I’m interested in. And
they are usually things I don’t know that much
about, so I become a researcher, journalist,
investigator and writer all in one. Then through the
research, the story develops.
Bitter Empire (http://bitterempire.com/david_baldacci_absolute_thriller_author_lawyer/)
11
On Learning

15. But, unlike most other occupations where you get
really good at something because you do it over
and over again and work all the errors out of it, as
a writer, you get better when you do something
different. I get to use my imagination.
Thats’ What She Read (http://www.thatswhatsheread.net/2014/12/special-feature-interview-with-david-baldacci/)
12
On Changing

16. Being an attorney helped me cope with working on
long-term projects. I developed the discipline
needed to stick with it but to also try not to do too
much too fast. It’s a process, and it’s going to take
longer than a weekend.
Bitter Empire (http://bitterempire.com/david_baldacci_absolute_thriller_author_lawyer/)
13
On Persisting

17. "Actually, you have to think, 'what am I going to
do differently?'" he says. "Because if you have to
ask yourself how you did it last time, that's when
you're dead as a writer. That's when you become a
formulaic hack."
The National (https://www.thenational.ae/arts-culture/books/the-author-david-baldacci-and-the-formula-of-no-formula-1.428144)
14
On Challenging

18. What would you consider the most rewarding part
of the writer's life?
Setting your own working hours, no dress code
and being paid to daydream.
Readers Read (https://www.writerswrite.com/books/david-baldacci-talks-the-christmas-train-110120021)
15
On Freedom

19. Share what I learn
@KenTabor
hello@KenTabor.com
www.KenTabor.com
AvailableonAmazon