Who: Kate Winkler Dawson

Claim To Fame: Kate is the author of Death in the Air: The True Story of a Serial Killer, the Great London Smog, and the Strangling of a City. She’s also a senior lecturer at the University of Texas at Austin’s School of Journalism and a seasoned documentary producer, news writer, and TV news producer. Her work has appeared in the New York Times, the Washington Post, United Press International in London, WCBS News, ABC News Radio, Fox News Channel, “PBS NewsHour” and “Nightline.”

Where To Find Kate: Her Website, Amazon, Twitter, Instagram

Praise For Kate: “Kate Winkler Dawson has a born storyteller’s gift for building suspense and momentum and a keen eye for telling details…Dawson captures the whole sad mess in a heartbreaking, page-turning account that almost literally grips you by the throat.” — Glenn Frankel, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and author of High Noon and The Searchers

When do you like to write? Are you regimented about your writing routine?

I tend to wake up early (between 4 and 4:30), which gives me a few hours to work before my 8-year-old twin girls begin to demand help preparing for school.  I’m not sure that I have a preferred time because I’m thrilled to have a few hours to write at any time. That being said, my brain shuts down after about 5 pm.

I’m not regimented daily with writing because my schedule is so erratic between my classes at the University of Texas, my other creative projects and random elementary school events. But I do stay committed to self-imposed deadlines, so I’ll have a weekly goal that I always meet, no matter what. Journalism has really trained me to respect deadlines and I really try to turn drafts in early.

Where do you like to write? What does your ideal work environment look like?

My environment changes based on my schedule and my mood, so it really depends. This morning I’ll go to a coffee shop where I’ll do some revising that doesn’t require two computer screens. Tomorrow I’ll need to add to some of my primary text, so I’ll stay at my home office where I have those dual monitors. I spent much of the summer on my couch in the living room with a portable monitor, writing and half-watching Jurassic Park (and its sequels) over and over again.

Do you have any rituals or superstitions before you sit down to write?

No rituals, just a good cup of decaf coffee or tea! But maybe I do need a ritual—open to suggestions!

There’s a saying that great writers live interesting lives. What are your favorite things to do when you’re not writing?

The family and I love outdoor activities–hiking, biking, zip lining, swimming. Working out at the gym keeps me sane as does traveling. I played goalkeeper on a competitive indoor soccer team for years until my first book was published and I resigned (you can’t do a media tour with a broken nose or a black eye). We love to cook as a family, so all of my hobbies tend to be based around the interests of my super active kids.

Writers have to be master prioritizers — juggling all sorts of projects and deadlines at the same time. That’s certainly the case for you. Do you have any methods for managing tasks and time so to not let overwhelm sneak in?

I live and die by my Google calendar; it really keeps me focused and I try to predict my future schedule so I can prepare for it well in advance. I have all book activities highlighted in dark green, all workouts in orange and each of my classes at UT have their own color. I’m pretty rigid about color-coding, but it works for me! I also compartmentalize—I tend to finish grading at school and keep writing and research to my time at home.

Death In The Air was your first book. What did you learn in that process that you wish knew at the start?

I wish I had thought to keep everything that I collected in the archive! I deleted some files that I assumed were useless and then I learned later on that I would need them. I spent a lot of money on a file recovery program.

A lot of the praise for Death In The Air make mention of your impressive and meticulous research. What is your process for researching and keeping all the material organized?

I’m incredibly anal—always have been, especially as a documentary film editor. I keep everything online and organized in very specific folders that are color coded. I also tend to create a lot of outlines, just to make sure I’ve included key facts; in fact, each chapter has its own outline and each comment on an outline corresponds to a specific file number.

You also teach journalism at UT-Austin. How has teaching the craft helped you evolve as a writer? What are some common mistakes you see aspiring writers make?

I think that talking about the narrative arc and compelling storylines can only help your writing; certainly, my students and I have different perspectives, so it’s constantly a challenge to impress them and vice versa. I love hearing new ideas, new criticisms and my students bring an energy to my career that isn’t matched anywhere.

I think aspiring writers try too hard to write like other people, perhaps their idols. You have to find your own voice, create your own clever phrases. Readers can see right through a fraud.

What are the best pieces of writing advice that you’ve ever received, read, or heard?

Bill (H.W.) Brands told me to stop researching and start writing as soon as possible, which I think is great advice. It’s so easy to become lost in research, mostly because it’s so much fun. Writing is hard and messy, so best to jump in when you have a handle on the material and avoid dragging it out.

What writers and books do you consider as gold standards?

Of course, anything by Erik Larson is wonderful; I loved Robert Kolker’s Lost Girls and Simon Winchester’s The Professor and the Madman.

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