How does a nonfiction author figure out what to write about? Recently, Ben Mezrich revealed his selection criteria during a talk he gave at Google. He feels most drawn to stories that feature ambition, intelligence, and people who “game the system” to be intriguing.
Mezrich also makes it a rule to “never start a book if I don’t think there can be a movie. Because I feel like if it can’t be a movie, it’s probably not going to be a good book.”
The video embedded above features his entire talk. In the past, Mezrich has written books on a diverse range of topics such as college students counting cards in Las Vegas, the founding fathers of Facebook, and a trio of moon rock thieves. Recently, he studied how a group of Russian oligarchs climbed up and came into power.