AOL, May 1997

The following is an abridged transcript of an America Online chat that was held in May 1997. Be forewarned that there may be Spoilers for upcoming books in 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 You may find that some of the information is outdated.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: Now, will we see anymore of Rabbie McNabb?
DGabaldon: As for Rabbie MacNab--I don’t know, at the moment. I suppose we might.

Question: I’ve been curious about something since I read Drums of Autumn. When did you decide to add the other part of the Fraser clan in the story? The clan crest, the leaping stag vs. the strawberries. Was this always a part of the master plan, or did you just recently research this and want to add it?
DGabaldon: I didn’t know there were two parts. {g} I have a lady who’s obsessed with the strawberries in Tennesee, and keeps peppering me with strawberry-strewn notepaper, sweaters, serving platters, you name it, but I did know about M. Frezeliere--he’s mentioned in one of my Highland Clans books. I just hadn’t found a suitable spot to stick that stuff in. Not room for everything I know, after all. {g}

Question: Will we get a replay of Jamie & Randall’s last encounter in Fiery Cross, or book six?
DGabaldon: No.

Question: Have you ever been affected by a book as Outlander has affected so many of us?
DGabaldon: Well, I dunno. {g} Judging from the effects...um. Er...I can’t think of any, offhand. {g}

Question: Just wondered if you get your ideas and run with them, or if some of them stall somewhere along the line?
DGabaldon: Well, I work in little bits and pieces, and sometimes I start something and it just doesn’t gel for me. If so, I just save it in a file, and start with something else (another scene, I mean, not another book). I may come back to it later, and it will come together--or I may just salvage phrases or images from it and use them somewhere else.

Question: There are two grimoires mentioned in the books...one Claire steals and gives to Roger before going back to Jamie and one Roger gets from Fiona. Are these the same or different books?
DGabaldon: I don’t remember Claire stealing a grimoire anywhere--let alone giving it to Roger.

Question: Will we ever see any more of Hamish?
DGabaldon: Oh, I think so. {g} Book Six, probably.

Question: Did you enjoy history in high school? I want to “turn on” the kids. Your characters are great! Very close to the feeling
DGabaldon: Well, some I enjoyed and some I thought was boring--depended on the teacher. {g} It helped if the teacher cared; if he or she found it a “live” subject, rather than a collection of dates and facts.

Question: What was Geillie’s motive in helping Claire at the witch trial?
DGabaldon: Geilie--well, it may have been a sense of altruism for a fellow time-traveler (after all, Geillie had good reason to think she might be able to escape burning, which indeed she did). Or merely an instinct for contrary behavior {g}, but really, really interesting!

Question: Diana, I believe the “stolen grimoire” referred to earlier is the notebook of Geillis’ that...
DGabaldon: Oh, that. No, it isnt the same book Fiona later gives Roger; it’s just a notebook full of Geilie’s early jottings and ideas. Her real grimoire is the cloth-bound book Fiona finds among her things.

Question: Will Claire and Jamie ever return to Scotland? BTW, I’m looking forward to the Companion!
DGabaldon: Yes, I think so, though I don’t know when or how.

Question: Travis McGee was prob. one of the best protagonists in this century. How did John D. McDonald influence you?
DGabaldon: By showing me how to handle both consistency and evolution in a continuing character--and showing me how to use pacing; the intermix of quick action with fairly quiet contemplative periods.
Comment: He said he was not Travis but Meyer
DGabaldon: Yeah, but he liked Travis a lot. {g}
Comment: Didn’t we all?
DGabaldon: {sigh}

Question: Are you like Claire?
DGabaldon: Well, I don’t swear. At all. {g}

Question: Everything seems to “mean” something. Do you “plan” coincidences, or take something that was casual and build on it? I’m thinking of Bonnet’s story that was first referenced on page 7 . Thanks.
DGabaldon: Er...well...they just sort of fall into place as the book grows. You do know I don’t plan books ahead of time, or write in a straight line? I just do small bits and pieces, and eventually they sort of start to fit together. At the same time, sometimes I’ll see an entire chain of “events” concerning some character of situation. But not always.

Question: Thanks for producing such great reads. Where are the sites for Lallybroch, Wentworth & Ardsmuir - or do I have to wait for the Companion {g}?
DGabaldon: I made them up.

Question: What does Dougal whisper to Jamie before his death?
DGabaldon: Stay tuned for Book Six....{g}

Question: You’ve said before that each book has a “shape”. What shape is Drums?
DGabaldon: It’s shaped like a stem on a rose bush--a long, arcing central stem, with smaller twigs--each with a bud {g}--coming off it--and then a final inflorescence, with a big whorl of bright crimson petals.
Comment: The shape of the book, a rose... Also with lots of thorns!
DGabaldon: Oh, yes. {g}

Question: It seems that Geillis is younger than Claire in 1968...but are they the same age in 1745 and beyond? Thank you for wonderful readings
DGabaldon: She’s a little older than Claire in 1745; she was 22 (or so) when she went back from 1968, but she came to a time earlier than 1745--maybe 1735--and has been aging normally there.

Question: You mentioned another series, will it also be time travel?
DGabaldon: Not the mysteries; those are straight (well, as straight as I get {g}) contemporary stories. Master Raymond’s series involves time-travel, though.

Question: In Outlander, Claire sees the Comte St. Germaine’s grimoire. How did Geilie get it if he still had it?
DGabaldon: I don’t know. Swiped it? {g} I mean--if she swiped his original book, he’d likely make another.

Question: Ian is using Ottertooth’s journal as note paper. When does its importance become noted and by whom?
DGabaldon: You only know he’s using the journal because I told you. (Just so people don’t start combing Drums for the reference! It’s not in there.) As to who notices--well, I reckon Ian knows, doesn’t he?

Question: You’ve said you wrote Outlander as practice, but did you mentally have entire series plotted
DGabaldon: Oh, no. I never plot things out in advance; what would be the fun of writing a book if you knew what was going to happen? I didn’t realize for a long time who the ghost was. It was only after people started asking about him that I realized what he was doing there.

Question: Do you plan to set your mysteries in the current day? I love mysteries, esp. with female
DGabaldon: Yes, the mysteries are contemporary. Set in Phoenix, with flashbacks to Philadelphia.

Question: Will Jenny and Ian ever come to the colonies?
DGabaldon: Oh...yes and no.

Question: Practical question: How did you find your agent?
DGabaldon: I was introduced to him by one of his clients, who was an acquaintance of mine on the CompuServe Literary Forum.

Question: Did Geillie know who Claire was when they met in 1745, from the newpaper clippings or
DGabaldon: No, she didn’t know.

Question: Just wanted to say that I love hearing you say you write without an outline....that’s how I do it and it seems to work!
DGabaldon: Well, it’s whatever works; I know lots of writers who do need outlines, and that works fine for them--just not for me. Or many others. {g}

Question: As an English teacher, I am wondering if you have any ideas on motivating JR/SR high school students to write?
DGabaldon: As to motivating students...ah...no, can’t say I do. My kids all write for recreation. I guess I’d just give them the opportunity to write about anything they liked, but that’s not very helpful, I’m afraid.