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| AOL LIVE Transcript of Diana Gabaldon May 21, 1998 OnlineHost: Copyright 1998 Franklin Spier. All Rights Reserved. BC Maxy: Good Evening! Welcome to AOL Live Everyone! Your Hosts
tonight are BC Maxy and BC Zoe from Book Central, Keyword:
BC, Home of the Outlander Reading Group!BC Maxy: Welcome....Diana Gabaldon, It's a great honor to have you with us! DGabaldon: Thanks! Great to be here. BC Maxy: ::::Wild Applause:::: BC Maxy: :) DGabaldon: <g> BC Zoe: We hope you're ready for questions - we've already got lots....
Let's goDGabaldon: Shoot! Question: Your success with the Outlander series has been legendary! How
has the Internet changed your life?DGabaldon: Well, it hasn't really--the Internet and I have sort of evolved
together. I was a computer nerd way back before there
_was_ an Internet, in today's sense; I've been on <ahem>
Compuserve for more than 12 years--since before I began
writing novels. gaBC Zoe: Wow, a long history of computers :-) Question: Many readers are truly involved in your books, how surprised were you
that this happened?DGabaldon: Yes, so when I began writing, it was just natural to share
what I was doing with my friends--who were mostly electronic at
that point (I had three small children, so that _was_ my
social life <g>). Consequently, people have been "involved"
with the story since I began telling it--that's how I originally
"got published"--that is, people who were reading the
excerpts I put up began encouraging me and offering me
advice, a friend who was published introduced me to his agent,
and...eventually <g>, there we were. But people have always
seemed just naturally interested in Jamie and Claire--
which seems reasonable to me; after all, they're real. <g> gaBC Zoe: We're glad they're as real to you as they are to us :-) DGabaldon: They'd better be~ <g> Question: Your series is so amazing, How does your creative process Work? Do
you see things like a Movie, or a Slide Show? Did you know where
you were heading when you began?DGabaldon: No, I didn't know what was going to happen when I began;
I just wanted to write a book--any book--for practice.
As to how it works---I often feel as though I'm walking along
by a big field, in which people are doing all kinds of interesting
things. But there's a sheet of plastic hanging between me and them.
In some places, the plastic is clear and thin, and I can see and
hear everything; in other places, it's like a garbage bag <g>--
thick and black, and I have to press up close, and feel shapes
with my hands and listen hard, because what's being said
is very muffled. gaQuestion: Some minor details and seeming trivialities seem to come back and
haunt us from book to book. Is that planned, or just serendipity?DGabaldon: It's mostly not planned--though once in awhile, when I write
some small thing, I will "see" how it will come back into the
story later. More often, I don't; I just look back at what's
happened, and pick things out, and wonder, and say, "Hmm,
I wonder if _that's_ why," or "Oh, so _that's_ what was
really going on!" <g> For instance, some people have
mentioned to me that it's odd Jamie should be tone-deaf,
because a talent for math and for music often go together. That's true
but not invariable. When I was looking over OUTLANDER for
something else (to do with the COMPANION), though, I
suddenly realized _why_ he can't hear music. (You'll
find out in FIERY CROSS <G>)_ gaBC Zoe: Speaking of Jamie, here's a question from one of the Outlandish
members...Question: In DIA, Will we ever hear what Dougal's last words to Jamie were? DGabaldon: Yes. ga BC Zoe: LOL Question: What is the significance of Claire's dream about Frank, the small
portraits and the bottle of perfume in DIA?DGabaldon: In the last book, probably. <g> Mind you, _I_ know what he said!
Well, in DIA, it was just a dream--signifying her memories of
her old life, and regret over Frank--not enough to impinge
on her waking life, but still there in her mind. Since that
exists, though...well, I think we'll hear more about those
portraits <cough>. gaBC Maxy: I can just see my message board tomorrow ;) BC Zoe: Here's another question.... Question: What is your take on writing about history and the differences in the
role of women? Examples, Jamie beating Claire in Outlander, and his
relationship with Geneva in Voyager.DGabaldon: Well, it _is_ "historical" fiction, which means that the people involved
do mostly have "historical" attitudes--and social attitudes have
varied a lot over time; you can find out quite a bit about what
attitudes were prevalent and/or accepted, though, by doing
research. I do find that some people are afflicted with "presentism"--
that is, an urge to see everything in terms of _their_ present
values and attitudes--and to be disturbed or upset by attitudes
that vary. I figure that's their problem, not mine. gaBC Zoe: RJDWriter in our audience wants to know... Question: How do you decide the length of each book -- and how to break the
story into those units?DGabaldon: I don't decide the length of each book; I just write until the "shape
I can see is complete. Then I go through and take out everything
I think the story can possibly do without. <g> The _last_
thing I do before sending a manuscript to my editor is to
go through and break the story into chapters--and that, I
decide on the basis of rhythm and pacing--what happens, what
makes a good conclusion, where does the story _naturally_ break.
Mind you, I do normally have large "sections" prior to that point--
a section often covers action in one geographical location, or
in one contiguous period of time; the next section is often set
in another time or place. gaQuestion: Hi Diana...can you give us info regarding the short story that you've
written with your daughter ?DGabaldon: Oh--it was for an anthology called MOTHER AND DAUGHTERS,
published by Putnam/Penguin (there's more than one book
around with this name! Ours is a small red-and-white book
(hardcover), with red roses on the front <g>. The story
is a fairytale/farce/romance called "Dream a Little Dream for Me,"
by Diana Gabaldon and Laura Watkins (we gave the kids my
husband's name, because it's easier to spell <g>). gaQuestion: What are you working on lately, and what are your tentative publishing
dates?DGabaldon: I've finished (though as my husband wryly says, "Finished" is a relative
term <g>) the OUTLANDISH COMPANION--that's scheduled
for publication next April (they tell me). I'm doing the clean-up
work on that <g>, and mostly working on THE FIERY CROSS
and the first of a contemporary mystery series--I'm not sure
of the title, but been calling it WHITE KNIGHT, which may work. ga
OH...
I should mention that Delacorte has decided to put out
a trade paperback edition of OUTLANDER, to be released
around August of this year (they tell me). Trade paper means
those books that are bigger than regular paperbacks, with
sturdier covers (this has a new--and really interesting--cover),
but much less expensive than hardcovers. ga
I reckon if it sells, they'll do the others that way, too.BC Zoe: That sounds great! And speaking of FIERY CROSS another member
of the Outlander group wants to knowQuestion: Your next book in the series, The Fiery Cross, Any great surprises
coming up?DGabaldon: Well, I should hope so. <g> ga Question: Your Online group has been discussing time travel, can you enlighten
us on your "rules" of time travel.DGabaldon: Ha, you think _I_ know? BC Maxy: Well..all we do is argue over it...LOL DGabaldon: Well, evidently some people can "hear" stone circles, and
some can't, and those who can't, can't pass through. So
the first "rule" is that it's a genetic talent. The "default" time
period for travel seems to be about 200 years--in the Scottish
Highlands, that is (some circles may have different default times;
we don't know that, yet--this is a new field <g>). However,
it does seem also to be possible to extend one's "range" (or
otherwise control it) by the use of gemstones. We don't (that is,
Roger, Bree, Claire, etc. don't) yet know exactly how that
works, except that having a stone on one's person seems
to protect one from the danger of crossing one's own lifeline--
that's what nearly happened to Roger when he first made the
attempt. I imagine we'll know more about this when they
get around to translating Otter-Tooth's journal. gaBC Zoe: And along those same lines.... Question: Is there something to the point that all the "Travellers" in the story
are somewhat rootless?DGabaldon: Well, it makes things easier for the novelist, I'll tell you. <g>
Being rootless probably has nothing to do with the traveling itself,
though. gaBC Maxy: Diana...how about one last question ... DGabaldon: OK Question: You have said previously that the Ghost seen by Frank IS Jamie.
Does his appearance BEGIN the catalyst of what will happen in the
continuing stories?DGabaldon: No, I don't think so. ga BC Maxy: Our time is nearly up... What a wonderful Chat!
Thank you Diana Gabaldon and Thanks to everyone that joined
us tonight!DGabaldon: Thank you! I had a wonderful time. <smile> BC Maxy: BC Zoe and I both help manage the Community:
KW: BCCommunity Come visit us all at Book Central:
Keyword: BC!BC Maxy: Diana...thank you and see you all at Book Central! OnlineHost: Book Central... thanks everyone for coming tonight! Copyright 1998 Franklin Spier. All Rights Reserved.
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