David Baldacci joins James Patterson on the latest episode of Hungry Dogs for a conversation about writing, failure, and the long road to success. David opens up about growing up in Richmond, Virginia during segregation and how weekly library trips changed his life. He also recalls the years of rejection before his breakout novel Absolute Power and the moment everything shifted overnight

David also shares how law school taught him to think like a storyteller, how he still approaches his craft with gratitude, and why he tells writers to “remember you get paid to make things up.”

00:00 Intro
01:56 David Baldacci's Upbringing and Early Influences
02:57 The Journey to Becoming a Writer
06:11 The Impact of 'Absolute Power'
08:27 The Business of Writing
12:09 Calamity Souls and Other Works
14:04 Competitiveness and Haters
15:10 The Art of Outlining vs. Writing in the Trenches
16:52 Who's David Ford?
19:24 Family and Fame: Balancing Act
22:46 Hollywood Adventures and Misadventures
25:59 The AI Dilemma and Future of Creativity
27:54 Positive Thinking and Life Lessons

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