How to Write Books That Actually Sell (David Baldacci Interview)
David Perell
Jul 15, 2026
Prolific novelist David Baldacci reveals that control over the reader is the ultimate goal of storytelling. By intentionally creating ambiguity and forcing readers to make false assumptions, he keeps them fully engaged. He argues that the most impactful scenes are not those that move the fastest, but those that slow down to let the emotional consequences sink in.
Key insight: When writing action sequences, slowing the pace down—rather than speeding it up—creates more gravitas and allows the reader to feel the true weight of the consequences.
