Chris: I will ride 3,500 miles a season in Vermont on my bike. When I decided that I wanted to explore a novel in Vietnam, it seemed natural to research it on my bike. I do my best work, in some ways, on my bike. I don't recall who said this, but someone once said the most important tool a writer can have is a walk. For me, it's a bike ride. I do so much thinking about my characters. Who's going to live? Who's going to die? What are their anxieties? What are their dreads? What is their heartbreak? I've pulled over on the side of the road on my bike so often and written whole scenes on my iPhone.