[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"$fq0u-nmK8F9d55o3O_LzHeD4kp5YNHsvdgrMvc5xP9Jg":3,"$fyWQZtkaNydCTZeqaiTax6zx_DRulTZJTCmHgigdWSN0":12},{"author":4,"tags":11},{"author_id":5,"author_name":6,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"bio":9,"short_bio":9,"slug":10,"image_url":9},100608,"Gayle Lynds","G",24,null,"gayle-lynds",[],{"quotes":13,"pagination":112},[14,22,28,35,47,58,69,78,89,101],{"id":15,"quote_text":16,"author_id":5,"source_id":17,"has_image":18,"author":19,"source":20,"quote_tag":21,"commentary":9},3675876,"Use plot to buttress a story.",7,false,{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[],{"id":23,"quote_text":24,"author_id":5,"source_id":17,"has_image":18,"author":25,"source":26,"quote_tag":27,"commentary":9},3675842,"The villain drives the plot.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[],{"id":29,"quote_text":30,"author_id":5,"source_id":31,"has_image":18,"author":32,"source":33,"quote_tag":34,"commentary":9},3041355,"Mellencamp sat back. He had just left his meeting with Liz Sansborough, where he had failed to get the information he needed.",6,{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[],{"id":36,"quote_text":37,"author_id":5,"source_id":38,"has_image":18,"author":39,"source":40,"quote_tag":41,"commentary":9},1901168,"The common wisdom is that only about 1 percent of a novelist's research ends up in his or her book. In my experience, it's even less - closer to a tenth of a percent.",4,{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[42],{"id":43,"tag":44},4890277,{"id":45,"tag_name":46},10188,"closer",{"id":48,"quote_text":49,"author_id":5,"source_id":38,"has_image":18,"author":50,"source":51,"quote_tag":52,"commentary":9},1901166,"Pulp paperbacks have always provided a training ground for men, Some of them went on to become respected authors - Dean Koontz, Nelson DeMille and Martin Cruz Smith, for example. Why couldn't a woman?",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[53],{"id":54,"tag":55},4890274,{"id":56,"tag_name":57},1620,"authors",{"id":59,"quote_text":60,"author_id":5,"source_id":38,"has_image":18,"author":61,"source":62,"quote_tag":63,"commentary":9},1901161,"Our only solace as writers is in the work itself, and perhaps also in a penchant for blissful ignorance that allows us to gamble, to risk, to keep going where others would tote up the odds and stop.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[64],{"id":65,"tag":66},4890271,{"id":67,"tag_name":68},20555,"odds",{"id":70,"quote_text":71,"author_id":5,"source_id":38,"has_image":18,"author":72,"source":73,"quote_tag":74,"commentary":9},1901155,"In 1996, when my first novel, 'Masquerade,' was published, I knew international thrillers - or spy novels, if you prefer - had been the domain of male authors for decades.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[75],{"id":76,"tag":77},4890264,{"id":56,"tag_name":57},{"id":79,"quote_text":80,"author_id":5,"source_id":38,"has_image":18,"author":81,"source":82,"quote_tag":83,"commentary":9},1901148,"I've seen unpublished manuscripts where the writer doesn't know they are making fun of the villain - but they are. If you aren't afraid of your villain, how can your hero be afraid?",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[84],{"id":85,"tag":86},4890257,{"id":87,"tag_name":88},1011,"afraid",{"id":90,"quote_text":91,"author_id":5,"source_id":38,"has_image":18,"author":92,"source":93,"quote_tag":94,"commentary":100},1901142,"I've always looked upon research as an opportunity to satisfy my curiosity. But the other side of the coin is one must not be so caught up in it that one never gets the book written.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[95],{"id":96,"tag":97},4890251,{"id":98,"tag_name":99},53330,"caught","**The Backstory**\nGayle Lynds, a renowned author known for her Tom and Catherine MacLeod series, penned these words as she reflected on the delicate balance between research and creative production. As an author who has spent years crafting intricate plots and exploring complex themes, Lynds was likely drawing from her own experiences of getting lost in the minutiae of research while trying to meet deadlines.\n\n**The Hidden Insight**\nWhat lies beneath this quote is a subtle yet profound observation on the nature of productivity and creativity. Lynds highlights that the pursuit of knowledge and understanding can become an end in itself, distracting us from our primary goal: to create something meaningful. This tension between curiosity-driven research and creative output speaks to the inherent conflict between exploration and exploitation, as psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi might describe it.\n\n**How to Use This**\nTo apply this mindset today, consider implementing a \"research pause\" – a deliberate interval where you step back from your project, allowing yourself to recharge and refocus on the task at hand. By acknowledging the potential pitfalls of over-researching, you can maintain a healthy balance between investigation and creation, ensuring that your curiosity fuels rather than hinders your progress.",{"id":102,"quote_text":103,"author_id":5,"source_id":38,"has_image":18,"author":104,"source":105,"quote_tag":106,"commentary":9},1901136,"Get in the habit of vetting your research as you go - particularly research conducted online. Verify facts from multiple reputable sources before you record them.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[107],{"id":108,"tag":109},4890246,{"id":110,"tag_name":111},26733,"multiple",{"currentPage":113,"totalPages":114,"totalItems":8,"itemsPerPage":115},1,3,10]