AOL, May 1998

The following is an abridged transcript of an America Online chat that was conducted in May 1998. Be forewarned that there may be Spoilers for upcoming books in the text of the interview. You may find that some of the information is outdated. Updates on the publication of books, tours, etc. are more current on the pages of this site that are devoted to those topics.

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.

Question: Wow, a long history of computers :-)
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}

Question: 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: 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.

Question: 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})

Question: In DIA, Will we ever hear what Dougal’s last words to Jamie were?
DGabaldon: Yes. In the last book, probably. {g} Mind you, I know what he said!

Question: What is the significance of Claire’s dream about Frank, the small portraits and the bottle of perfume in DIA?
DGabaldon: 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}.

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.

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.

Question: 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. 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. I reckon if it sells, they’ll do the others that way, too.

Question: Your next book in the series, The Fiery Cross, Any great surprises coming up?
DGabaldon: Well, I should hope so. {g}

Question: Our Online group has been discussing time travel, can you enlighten us on your “rules” of time travel.
DGabaldon: Ha, you think I know? 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.

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.

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.

BC Maxy: Thank you Diana Gabaldon and Thanks to everyone that joined us tonight!
DGabaldon: Thank you! I had a wonderful time. {smile}