David Baldacci

About the Author

David Baldacci ,born August 5, 1960 is an American novelist. An attorney by education,

Baldacci writes mainly suspense novels and legal thrillers.

Early life and education

David Baldacci was born and raised in Richmond, Virginia. He graduated from Henrico High
School and earned a B.A. in political science from Virginia Commonwealth University and a Juris
Doctor from the University of Virginia School of Law, after which he practiced law for nine years
in Washington, D.C. He is of Italian descent from Barga, in Tuscany.[3]

Career
Baldacci began writing stories as a child, when his mother gave him a notebook in which to
record them.[citation needed] He wrote for more than two decades, penning short stories and later
screenplays without much success.[citation needed]
While practicing law, he turned to novel writing, taking three years to write Absolute Power.[citation
needed]
 Published in 1996, it was an international best seller. To date, Baldacci has published 40
best-selling novels for adults as well as seven novels for younger readers.

Works[edit]
Baldacci's first novel, Absolute Power, tells the story of a fictional American president and
his Secret Service agents who are willing to commit murder in order to cover up the accidental
death of a woman with whom the President was having an affair. It was adapted as a
film, Absolute Power (1997), starring Clint Eastwood and Gene Hackman.
Baldacci wrote the screenplay for the film adaptation of his novel Wish You Well; the movie was
shot on location in southwest Virginia with Academy Award winner Ellen Burstyn, Josh Lucas,
and Mackenzie Foy in the lead roles.
Baldacci was a consulting producer on King & Maxwell, a TNT television series based on his
characters Sean King and Michelle Maxwell. Jon Tenney and Rebecca Romijn starred.
The Christmas Train, Baldacci's eighth novel, was adapted in 2017 by Hallmark Channel as
a Hallmark Hall of Fame feature presentation. The TV movie starred Dermot Mulroney, Kimberly
Williams-Paisley, Danny Glover and Joan Cusack and was directed by Ron Oliver.
Baldacci's novels have been published in over 45 languages and in more than 80 countries, with
over 130 million worldwide sales as of 2018.[9]
 HOW A BOOK IS WRITTEN
1. Establish a consistent writing space.
If you’re going to write a great book, you’re going to need a great space to write. It
doesn’t have to be a soundproof room with a stunning view. All you really need is a
quiet place free of distractions where you can consistently get good writing done.
Whether it’s a home office, your couch, or a coffee shop, the environment where
you work should allow you to focus, uninterrupted, for hours at a time.

2. Hone in on your book idea.

Perhaps you already know precisely what your book is about, or maybe you’re
trying to decide between a million different big ideas. Maybe all you have is an
image for the book cover. Either way, to ask yourself a few simple questions before
you start writing. What is my book about? Why is the story interesting or important?
What attracted me to this idea in the first place? Who will want to read my book? If
you’re still searching for a book idea or struggling with writer’s block, try using
writing prompts to get started.

3. Outline your story.

Good writers spend plenty of time outlining before writing books. Outlines can be
detailed chapter outlines or simple beat sheets in which each section of the book is
plotted out. They can be visual maps that serve as a graphic representation of
where your book is headed. Regardless of your method, what’s important is that
you have a roadmap for your future writing sessions.

4. Do your research.

Research is an essential tool for professional writers. If you’re writing a non-fiction
book, you’ll likely want to spend time in libraries and archives, absorbing everything
you can about your subject. Research is helpful for fiction writers too, as it can
provide helpful context for the time period or character archetypes that you’re
writing about. Read books or listen to podcasts that cover subject matter similar to
yours.

5. Start writing and stick to a routine.

Research, outlining, and idea development are all critical steps to writing your first
book, but there may come a time when preparation becomes procrastination. At a
certain point, it’s time to begin writing your rough draft. This requires committing to
consistent routines and productive writing habits. There are simple steps you can
take to maximize your chance for success. Just because you aren't Stephen King
or J.K. Rowling doesn't mean you shouldn't treat writing like your full-time job. Try
setting daily word count targets to keep you on track. Schedule writing time and put
it in your calendar so that you won’t skip it. Ask a friend or fellow writer to hold you
accountable by sending them updates on how much you’ve written that day.

6. Finish your first draft.

As you’re writing your first draft, you’ll encounter self-doubt, lack of motivation, and
writers’ block. That’s normal. Whenever you feel stuck, try going back to your
outline or research for inspiration. Try to manage your expectations as well. Your
first book is likely not going to be a generational masterpiece or New York
Times bestselling book, and that’s okay. If you compare yourself to literary greats,
you’re doing your work a disservice. All you can do is keep writing until you reach
the end.
7. Revise and edit.
Every good book goes through many rounds of revisions. You can endure the
editing process yourself or ask a friend or professional editor to help. Either way,
you need to have an honest, ruthless eye on your writing so that you can know
what needs re-working. Look for sentences that rely on cliché tropes or overly
common descriptors. If you’re writing fiction, try to determine where there are
character inconsistencies, plot holes, or gaps in logic. Develop a system to keep
track of your edits.
8. Write your second draft.
The second draft is your opportunity to apply your revisions and edits. It’s also a
chance to consider larger, overarching questions that can only be answered after
you already completed your first draft. Does your book have a consistent tone? Is
there an overarching theme that can be developed and strengthened? Are there
weak parts of the book that can be cut entirely? The second draft is also a chance
to address more granular questions. Does the book have a strong opening hook?
An impactful conclusion?

9. Publish your book.

Once you’ve finished your final draft, it’s time to publish. With the rise of online
marketplaces and e-readers like the Kindle, self-publishing is easier than ever.
Alternatively, if you want to go the traditional route, you can submit a book
proposal to a publishing house, ideally with the help of a literary agent. Once
you’ve successfully published, all that’s left to do is sit back, relax, and start
working on your second book.

BOOKS BY AUTHOR
Sean King and Michelle Maxwell series
The Camel Club series
John Puller series
Will Robie series
A. Shaw and Katie James series
Amos Decker series
Atlee Pine series

David Baldacci has been writing since childhood, when his mother gave him a lined notebook in which to
write down his stories. (Much later, when David thanked her for being the spark that ignited his writing
career, she revealed that she’d given him the notebook to keep him quiet, "because every mom needs a
break now and then.”)

David published his first novel, Absolute Power, in 1996; the feature film adaptation followed, with Clint
Eastwood as its director and star. In total, David has published 44 novels for adults; all have been national
and international bestsellers, and several have been adapted for film and television. His books are
published in over 45 languages and in more than 80 countries, with 150 million copies sold worldwide.
David has also published seven novels for younger readers.

In addition to being a prolific writer, David is a devoted philanthropist, and his greatest efforts are
dedicated to his family’s Wish You Well Foundation®. Established by David and his wife, Michelle, the
Wish You Well Foundation supports family and adult literacy programs in the United States.

A lifelong Virginian, David is a graduate of Virginia Commonwealth University and the University of
Virginia School of Law.

Struggle
Often, struggling writers find it difficult to decide when it's the right
time to quit their job and pursue a career in writing. You yourself
wrote a lot even as a lawyer before you actually decided to do it full-
time. When did you know it was the right time to quit?
I had sold my first book and was working on my second. At that time, I
was married and had a child, so it was a difficult decision. It really came
down to being able to be the best writer I could be or the best lawyer.
Splitting time between them became too unwieldy. After having a heart-
to-heart discussion with my wife, we made the choice to allow me to see
if I could carve out a career as a writer. If I failed, I could always go
back to being a lawyer. Ultimately, it’s a highly personal choice and
thus, is different for each person.