Robert Crais

* Author of the new novel “L.A. Requiem.”

Literary Explorations: Weekends are a wonderful time to search for settings to use in my books. I was jogging around Lake Hollywood and thought it a very L.A. kind of place to find a body, so that’s what I did in “L.A. Requiem.” I found a park in the mountains above Encino that had once been a Cold War missile base and thought it a fine place for a clandestine meeting, so it’s in the new book also. I call these exploratory wanderings of mine “research.” My wife calls them “goofing off.” Clearly, she doesn’t understand the literary process.

Inspiration Points: Whenever I’m running short of inspiration, I enjoy visiting the former homes of L.A.’s literary legends. I’ll cruise James M. Cain’s old place in North Hollywood, Robert Heinlein’s home in Laurel Canyon, then maybe bounce down to La Jolla to pay homage to Raymond Chandler or up to Santa Barbara for Ross Macdonald and Margaret Millar. The energy these writers left behind is invigorating.

Finding Fish: One of my favorite places to shop is Chinatown on Saturday morning. I go early to beat the traffic, then spend a couple hours drifting between the fish markets for things that I can grill or use in seafood gumbo. I love to cook for friends and family and, unlike writing, the creative rewards are immediate.

Slow Down: I like to run and go to the gym during the week, but on weekends I take long walks with my daughter. We’ll walk along Mulholland Drive or on San Vicente Boulevard from Brentwood to the beach or along Ventura Boulevard. L.A. is a great driver’s town, but I’ve found that there’s more to see if you get out of your car and walk.

Flying High: A few years ago I took up flying and am now a private pilot. Early Sunday mornings are a great time for a short day trip, say, flying north to Mojave Airport in the Antelope Valley. Crazy, brilliant people are building plastic spaceships up there. Edwards Air Force Base with all its classified projects is there. You can get a pretty good hamburger at Fox Field. Any fan of “The X-Files” would love it.