I'm not one of them. I avoid large crowds and heavy traffic and great noise that makes my head rattle.
And yet, for the last several years, I've travelled closely with Pope Francis. I've listened to quiet conversations he's had with his personal bodyguard. I've watched him eat pizza in Rome when he snuck out of the Vatican. I've been at large and small gatherings when he's struggled with English and been eloquent in Spanish and Italian.
I heard him say, "God reveals Himself through surprises."
How could I possibly do this?
Pope Francis is a major character in my Urban Fantasy, The Wicked Claw. After months of deep research, I followed him each time he surfaced in the story. I described what I saw him do. I captured what I heard him say. My role was more of a journalist than a creative writer.
From the book's opening, I mixed actual events with fantastical characters and elements. An ultra high-definition, 4K movie ran in my head, and I tried my best to catch all the details.
