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I love research. Sometimes I think writing novels is just an excuse to allow myself this leisurely time of getting to know a period and reading its books and watching its films. I see it as a real treat.

I love research so much that I do an enormous amount; it helps put off the moment of starting to write the story.

I really enjoy researching, and for almost every piece, I research enough to write a book.

Mostly, research is much more fun than the actual writing.

I like to get paid for doing basic research, so it's pleasant to write some nonfiction about it.

The notion of a writer sitting in a library doing research isn't what I want. The research I love doing isn't found in a book. It's what it feels like to rappel down the side of a building; to train with a SWAT team; to hold a human brain in your hands; or to dive for pirate treasure. Those are things I've done to research my stories.

I do like the research part of writing, I must admit.

I tend to research as I write so that the narrative can take priority, which is important for a piece of fiction, I think, finding out facts as and when I need to.

Research for fiction is a funny thing: you go looking for one piece of information, and find something altogether different.

I still find the idea of a research-heavy or historical novel daunting. That's something I've had in mind for a while: like, would you research for a year and then start writing? I sit down, and I just don't know how to write it.