First episodes are difficult things to write.

The key for me with historical characters is they're interesting because they're human beings. A little bit of Hemingway goes a long way here, but journalists and writers should honestly look at their material and have a real interest, a real passion in what they want to write, and they should also have a lot of knowledge as well.

Once I engage in something, I really engage in it, and I love the process of reading and researching because I come from an academic background.

It works better if your lead character is complex and interesting and not perfect.

I only have one idol: John Lennon.

I think comedy is the hardest actual form of writing there is.

I couldn't give 'Vikings' away - I mean, I love these people. And I'm not sure anyone else writing it would necessarily have the same feeling towards the characters that I do.

I felt that a lot of Viking culture had been caricatured and misconstrued. After all, they were far more democratic than the Saxons and the Francs, who were exercising really hierarchical social structures at that time. The Vikings had popular meetings where everything could be discussed.

If you're in America or Europe, walk for three blocks, and you'll pass about 14 Vikings. Their reach was immense.

I'm very bad at delegating writing responsibilities, because I've never been able to do it; I've never had any help or looked for any help.