Aaron Sauceda asked Lawrence Wright:

Lawrence, love your work. "The Looming Tower" is my go-to book recommendation for friends/colleagues. Really enjoyed Going Clear, too. Particularly for research-heavy books like Looming Tower, what's your planning process like? Do you start with an outline then identify knowledge or interview gaps? Or do you start with identifying who to interview and let the outcome of those influence how you structure the story?

Lawrence Wright First I read. I get an overview. I try not to be swayed by conventional views. Then I start interviewing everyone who will talk to me. I always ask who else I should talk to, so I can populate the universe of the story. I put the information I think is significant on note cards. When I index them, I begin to see the outline of the story. Then I write it out on a big white board in my office and finally--finally!--start writing.

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