Patrick Lewis
asked
Dave Cullen:
Hi Dave, First of all, your book is absolutely RIVETING. It also gave me wholly new insights into the mindset of a mass shooter and the complexities of such a case, and what a fascinating case it is. On craft, your book is masterfully structured. How did you arrive at the structure? Was it hard? Was it natural/instinctual? You just seemed to always go to the next best place with it; well interwoven, never dull.
Dave Cullen
Thanks, Patrick. (Sorry, I just discovered this question.) I really appreciate that--and appreciate you noticing the structure!
No, it did not come instinctively. Intellectually,* that was the hardest part of the book, by a country mile. For starters, it took me five years and a failed book attempt at Random House to chuck the structure I had and conceive it as a before/after tale, focused on ten primary characters. Then it was fairly quick and easy to settle on who they should be (and the precise number. I didn't start with the number ten. I started with the idea of an insanely large number of protagonists, to hit many dimensions.)
But then HOW to do that was a huge challenge. I actually made 2 videos describing the process here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list... (The ones with Structure in the title, parts 1 and 2). I hope those are helpful.
* By "intellectually," I mean that the hardest part of writing the book was emotional, including 2 bouts of depression 7 years apart (from secondary PTSD). Everything else paled in comparison to that. But in terms of the intellectual/artistic challenge, it was definitely the structure.
No, it did not come instinctively. Intellectually,* that was the hardest part of the book, by a country mile. For starters, it took me five years and a failed book attempt at Random House to chuck the structure I had and conceive it as a before/after tale, focused on ten primary characters. Then it was fairly quick and easy to settle on who they should be (and the precise number. I didn't start with the number ten. I started with the idea of an insanely large number of protagonists, to hit many dimensions.)
But then HOW to do that was a huge challenge. I actually made 2 videos describing the process here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list... (The ones with Structure in the title, parts 1 and 2). I hope those are helpful.
* By "intellectually," I mean that the hardest part of writing the book was emotional, including 2 bouts of depression 7 years apart (from secondary PTSD). Everything else paled in comparison to that. But in terms of the intellectual/artistic challenge, it was definitely the structure.
More Answered Questions
Mark
asked
Dave Cullen:
I just watched Dave Cullen: Lessons of Columbine at Elmhurst College and I was bothered by one of your answers. Because you were wrong. You claimed there's no mention of the word bullying nor any synonyms for it in their journals. What about this? "I know I will die soon, so will you and everyone else. maybe will we be lucky. I'll get revenge soon enough. fuckers shouldn't have ripped on me so much huh!"
Ryan Bingham
asked
Dave Cullen:
Hey Dave, I just finished Columbine. You speak about the depression and PTSD that the book brought you. Is this why Parkland is such a different book than Columbine? Your focus seemed to have switched from the shooters and their impact in Columbine to more just the victims in Parkland.
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