I always write in terms of scenes, and for a big scene in one of the Cromwell novels, I will prepare for several days by going through all my notes and all my sources before diving into the writing.

At that moment where I commit to the writing, it is exactly like walking on stage. All your senses are alive and it is as if you are straining your ears for the sound of a response.

– Hilary Mantel

Original article: Hilary Mantel interview: ‘My problem is never ideas, my problem is time’, The Guardian