Guess quote

Ken Follett [1949-0] Welsh

Rank: 102
Author

Kenneth Martin "Ken" Follett is a Welsh author of thrillers and historical novels who has sold more than 150 million copies of his works.

Chance, Famous

Quote	Tags	Rank
There is no point in asking a man a question until you have established whether he has any reason to lie to you.		101
People are much more complicated in real life, but my characters are as subtle and nuanced as I can make them. But if you say my characters are too black and white, you've missed the point. Villains are meant to be black-hearted in popular novels. If you say I have a grey-hearted villain, then I've failed.		102
I want to tell a story that makes the reader always want to see what will happen next.		103
Without books I would not have become a vivacious reader, and if you are not a reader you are not a writer.		104
Culture clash is terrific drama.		105
The CIA's research program is described in a book called The Search for the Manchurian Candidate.		106
With hindsight, we see that the Soviet Union never had a chance of world domination, but we didn't know that then.	Chance	107
For success, the author must make the reader care about the destiny of the principals, and sustain this anxiety, or suspense, for about 100,000 words.		108
World War II is the greatest drama in human history, the biggest war ever and a true battle of good and evil. I imagine writers will continue to get stories from it, and readers will continue to love them, for many more years.		109
I started writing stories in my spare time.		110
There is a real connection between Philosopy and fiction.		111
I like to create imaginary characters and events around a real historical situation. I want readers to feel: OK, this probably didn't happen, but it might have.		112
I went and looked at one of these great cathedrals one day, and I was blown away by it. From there I became interested in how cathedrals were built, and from there I became interested in the society that built the medieval cathedral. It occurred to me at some point that the story of the building of a cathedral could be a great popular novel.		113
I wake up with the story in my head, so I really like to be at my desk about five minutes after I wake up. So I don't get dressed. I put on a bathrobe, I make tea and sit at my desk.		114
Listen, I wrote 10 unsuccessful books before I broke through, so I'm looking all the time to keep my books fascinating. I want to write what people want to read, not push any message.		115
A very good editor is almost a collaborator.		116
Thrillers have been traditionally very masculine books; the women characters often rather decorative.		117
In my books, women often solve the problem. Even if the woman is not the hero, she's a strong character. She does change the plot. She'll often rescue the male character from some situation.		118
The research is the easiest. The outline is the most fun. The first draft is the hardest, because every word of the outline has to be fleshed out. The rewrite is very satisfying.		119
There was a very serious communist strain among American intellectuals before the war. America was a more tolerant place in those days, and Communists were not treated as pariahs. That ended with the McCarthy era.		120
I am very fond of Edith Wharton. She's quite high brow but also a great storyteller. My favorite is 'The House of Mirth.' I also like 'The Reef.'		121
I have quite a few different Bibles. Having rejected my parents' religion, I still think the King James Bible is the most important work of literature in English. None of us can help being influenced by it.		122
I'm a great planner, so before I ever write chapter 1, I work out what happens in every chapter and who the characters are. I usually spend a year on the outline.		123
One of the hardest things for me, now that I'm famous, is finding people who can read my stuff and give me an honest critique.	Famous	124
With the World War II era, there's so much written material to draw on. When you go back to the 14th century, you have to imagine more.		125
I aim to be translucent, so you don't notice the words, just their meaning. I haven't much insight into people's motivations.		126
I like reading history, and actually most authors enjoy the research part because it is, after all, easier than writing.		201
We all now tell stories by cutting from one dramatic scene to the next, whereas Victorian novelists felt free to write long passages of undramatic summary.		202
Be a perfectionist.		203
I enjoy learning technical details.		204
Most of my stories have some basis in fact.		205
Movies have influenced all writers, not just thriller writers.		206
The thriller is the most popular literary genre of the 20th century.		207
An awful lot of thriller writers write women rather badly. So just doing it OK gets a lot of credit.		208
My favorite period is World War II, and I'm in the middle of writing my fourth novel set in that era.		209
I use a professional researcher in New York who does all the legwork, all that stuff which would take me days and weeks of calling, waiting for people to call back.		210
When I'm writing a woman character, I don't think, 'What would a woman do?' I just think, 'What would this character do in this situation?'		211
James Bond is quite serious about his drinks and clothing and cigarettes and food and all that sort of thing. There is nothing wry or amused about James Bond.		212
I don't think there's any great mystery to writing female characters, so long as you talk to them. If you lived in a monastery and never met any women, maybe it would be difficult.		213
Well, for people who want to write best sellers, the best advice I can give is to say that the novel has to engage the reader emotionally.		214
I read mostly fiction, a lot of 19th-century novels.		215
It's great that in the German language I've sold almost 30 million books. Isn't that amazing?		216
I wanted to be some kind of captain of industry. Then I wanted to be in advertising, and then I wanted to be a newspaper reporter.		217
After a certain point, most people, including editors, will tell you everything you do is great.		218
I might not be a good socialist, any more than I'm a good Christian, but I am one.		219
I start with the history, and I ask myself, 'What are the great turning points? What are the big dramatic scenes that are essential to telling the story?'		220

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