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that way。 I was one of the lucky ones； and if I hadn't been so obsessed with ancient Egypt … as I still am … I might not have noticed that I did enjoy writing； and that some people thought I was pretty good at it。 But I've never regretted studying Egyptology； even though I was unable to make it my career。
So how did you bee a writer？
Luck； accident； or Fate！ I had always been a pulsive reader。 Sooner or later every pulsive reader finds herself thinking； 〃This isn't a very good book。 I'll bet I could do better。〃 So I tried。 My first book； an espionage thriller； was written in collaboration with my then…husband。 He provided the plot outline； I wrote the book。 It was awful； partly because I was just learning how to write and partly because it wasn't my kind of book。 I wrote two more novels； solo； before I began to get a sense of what I wanted to write。 Unfortunately； nobody wanted to publish that kind of book。 It wasn't until Mary Stewart and Victoria Holt hit the bestseller lists that publishers realized mysteries written by women； about women protagonists； could make money。 （This despite the fact that authors like Phyllis Whitney had been doing it for years！） I finally sold my first mystery during this period。 I'm not particularly proud of The Master of Blacktower ＇by Barbara Michaels＇； but I was able to sell it because it was what publishers were looking for just then。 By that time I had learned that I loved to write； and I kept at it； learning with every book； and finally developing what I like to think of as my own style。 Or is it styles？
So was The Master of Blacktower the first book you sold？
The first book I sold wasn't a mystery。 I had despatched my early unappreciated mss。 to every publisher in New York； every one of whom promptly returned them。 When the third ms。 made the rounds an editor at one of the publishing houses liked it。 She couldn't persuade her boss to buy it； but she remended an agent。 He couldn't sell that book either； but without him I probably could not have sold the next； which was a nonfiction book on Egyptology。 These days it is much more difficult to sell a book without an agent； and much more difficult to get a good agent。 But it can be done。
Can you remend others' books to your agent？
I'd like to help aspiring writers； I'd like to help everyone in this suffering world。 But I can't remend a manuscript I haven't read； by a person I don't know； to my long…suffering and very busy agent。 I am very fond of him and want to stay in his good graces。
Where do you get your ideas？
I am sorry to say that this question has bee something of a bad joke among writers。 The only possible answer is： 〃Everywhere。〃 You don't get ideas； you see them； recognize them； greet them familiarly when they amble up to you。 A few examples from my own experience： Reading Arthurian legends and articles about the Cadbury excavations inspired The Camelot Caper ＇by Elizabeth Peters＇。 An oddly shaped bag of trash some lout had tossed onto the shoulder of a country road make me think about bodies in trash bags and led eventually to the skeleton on the road； in Be Buried in the Rain ＇by Barbara Michaels＇。 Like all skills； this one can be honed with practice； but if you have to ask the question you probably shouldn't try to write a novel or short story。 And if you ask a writer who has heard that same question dozens of times； she may e back with some snappy answer like； 〃There's a drugstore in North Dakota where I order mine。〃
How long does it take you to write a book？
One is tempted to reply； 〃As long as it takes。〃 The actual writing process is only the final step。 You ought to have some idea of what you are going to write about before you put your fingers on the keyboard or clutch the pen； and that part of the process can take weeks or months or even years； as you mull over an elusive idea and try to develop it into a workable plot。
Sometimes I start writing with only a vague outline in mind； and have to go back to insert useful clues； develop characters； or even change the identity of the murderer！ Naturally； it takes longer to write this kind of book。 On rare and blissful occasions the book just flows along； without the necessity of major revisions。 That happened to me with The Snake； the Crocodile； and the Dog ＇by Elizabeth Peters＇。 I wrote it in a little over two months … day and night； weekdays and weekends。 However； I had already done most of the research； I had a very clear idea as to what would happen and when it would happen … the sequence； in other words … and I was intimately acquainted with most of the characters。
I know Amelia and Emerson so well by now that all I have to do is set up a situation and describe how they will inevitably react。 It takes much longer for me to write a book about people I don't know。 I learn to know them as I write； and they have a nasty habit of developing in ways I didn't anticipate。 That's when I have to go back and rewrite。 I was halfway through Vanish with the Rose ＇by Barbara Michaels＇ before I realized that the person I had picked to be the murderer was obdurately refusing to kill anybody。
Are any of the characters in the Amelia Peabody mysteries based on real people？
The main characters inspired by real people are Amelia Peabody （based on Victorian amateur Egyptologist Amelia B。 Edwards） and Emerson （whose methodology has been attributed to William Flinders Petrie）。
Do you have a schedule？
No。 I am not an organized person。 However； when a deadline looms I can work like a demon； eight hours a day； seven days a week。 Set schedules work for some people； not for others； but any writer who waits for 〃inspiration〃 to strike will never finish a book。 Inspiration is all very well； but it will never replace sheer dogged determination。
Egyptian Diary： The Amelia Peabody Expedition
Over the 2000 Christmas holiday； Bill and Nancy Petty； of Museum Tours； led The Amelia Peabody Expedition in Egypt。 I had dealt with them in the past； to my great satisfaction。 Despite the unrest in the Middle East； which caused a few cautious souls to cancel； fifty people joined the tour … most of them Egypt buffs and fans of Amelia's。 I decided to go out a few weeks early； with a couple of friends； Dennis and Joel； before I joined the Expedition。 Here are a few semi…coherent excerpts from the diary I kept as I went。
Dec。 11。 It's wonderful to be back in Cairo； makes the grisly ten…plus hours flight and the hours of waiting worthwhile。 We arrived late afternoon Cairo time and were met by Khaled； one of Bill Petty's super…efficient staff。 He drove us straight to the hotel … though 〃straight〃 isn't an accurate description； considering Cairo traffic。 An early dinner and straight to bed； and tomorrow morning I'll be back on schedule with no jet lag。 It works。
Dec。 13。 Off to Dahshur today； one of my favorite sites。 I had hoped to get into the Bent Pyramid。 It's the only one of the major pyramids whose interior I have not visited。 The SCA ＇the Egyptian Supreme Council of Antiquities＇ had said they were planning to open it； but when we got there the scaffolding was still up and the entrance was