For many years the only chance a fan had of speaking to Terry was to meet him at tour events or conventions. Now with the establishment of this website, Terry will accept two questions from each fan per month. On the last day of the month, five questions will be randomly drawn. Terry will answer these five questions and they will be posted monthly for your enjoyment.
Below are the questions selected last month and Terry’s answers! Enjoy!
Note: This section may contain spoilers!
Summer Greetings, Readers Everywhere!
How are you all holding up? It’s so hot everywhere in the US, I can’t imagine being outside air conditioning or water. Not so bad here in the Pacific NW. We have maybe two days above 90, and the rest of the time it has been in the 60s and 70s. Much better for staying sane and relaxed. I did go down the desert SW where it was roughly 105 everywhere I went, but I made it back alive.
So now I am getting ready to go on book tour starting on the 21st. Check the website for a list of cities and venues. Looking forward to seeing a few of you out there. I will be out for about 4 weeks altogether. Back in very hot country, it appears.
Hope you are enjoying the chat with Patrick Rothfuss that we have both been running on our websites. Lots of fun talking with Patrick, a fine writer with a good sense of humor and a thorough understanding of fantasy and writing. I have another one of these coming up with a different writer, but this one is more of an in-depth interview than a chat. Keep you eye out for later this month.
Got my first copy of Wards of Faerie, and I think the book is stunning. Love the cover art, the packaging, Todd Lockwood’s center foldout and Russ Charpentier’s new map of the Four Lands. All this and they kept the price retail at $28.00. I am so happy. Can’t wait for your feedback.
But for now, it’s on to Ask Terry:
Terry Brooks replies: Actually, I do, Reeth. I never thought of that before, but I will think hard on it now. What a good idea! The Grimpond is one of my favorite characters, a compelling figure in a number of the books, fated to remain a shade trapped in the Four Lands, but able to influence to some degree the lives of a number of our main characters. We do need to know more about him.
Anthony Cirilla writes: Okay, that’s my first question. My second question is: Most of your writing is in a sort of fantastical medieval setting, including the Landover series and the Shannara series, and even the Word and the Void has some interesting medieval parallels. I know that medieval settings are sort of in the DNA of fantasy literature, but did you find any medieval literature to be particularly influential in your writing?
Terry Brooks replies: Hey, what happened to the first question? Well, since I don’t get to choose, let’s go with number 2. Yeah, there are lots of books with medieval settings that influenced my writing. Tolkien, obviously. Sir Walter Scott’s Ivanhoe and Quentin Durward. Arthur Conan Doyle’s White Company and Sir Nigel. The Iliad, Odyssey and Aeniad. Lots of histories from ancient civilization. The list goes on and on. The simplicity of conflict and weapons usage and pastoral settings are more evocative for me. I’m not much of a tank and heavy weapons kind of guy. I prefer blades and spears and bow & arrows as weapons. What can I say?
Anonymous writes: I’ve read all your books and was wondering when the sequel to the Measure of the Magic will be published. I assumed it would be in August 2012 but it appears you will be publishing a different book.
Terry Brooks replies: Yes, I have moved away from pre-history Shannara to post-history High Druid. That’s been my way of staying fresh with the stories and not growing bored. So Dark Legacy of Shannara will publish as a trilogy in August of 2012, and March and August of 2013. Wards of Faerie comes out on the 21st of this month. After that, it will be on to something else, but I am not yet decided if that something will be Shannara, Magic Kingdom or something entirely new. All I can say is that at some point I will get back to the follow up to Measure of the Magic.
Richard Miller writes: Great story in Allanon’s Quest! I think it’s a great idea (and a great bargain), and was wondering if you plan any more short stories to bridge to the main stories? If so what characters would you like to write about? I would love to hear of a Leah adventure.
Terry Brooks replies: Glad you liked the Allanon story, Richard. There are two more in the works right now, both to be offered online as ebook short stories. The first is titled The Weapons Master’s Choice. Wonder who that one features? The third one is still in the planning stages, but will likely feature another character from the first three Shannara books. I have given thought to doing a Leah adventure, and I will likely do so. But it might not come out for a time and might not be what we are discussing.
Bradley Stout writes: I know you’ve said that you don’t do more with the Word/Void because you feel it was pretty well perfect already, but have you ever thought of maybe introducing other Knights of the Word in short stories? Even if Nest Freemark was entirely unique in the world, we know that there were others like John Ross… Is there even a remote interest in working on the Knights of the Word any more?
Terry Brooks replies: I have some interest in doing this, Brad. I just haven’t decided on a format yet. I expect that at some point I will give in the constant demand for this and write another Word & Void book/story. But I have to get an idea I love and then back off of what I’ve kept saying I wouldn’t do. Again.
Okay, gang, that’s it for now. Off for the East Coast and the launch of the tour for Wards of Faerie. Hope to see many of you!
Back next month,
Please completely fill in the form below and send the two questions you want to ask Terry this month.
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13 responses to “July Ask Terry Posted”
I would also second that thought with Bradley, but I would also be interested in hearing more about “Two Bears” O’olish Amaneh myself. I think his history would make for an intriguing short story in the least.
I’m not sure if you had covered this or not but here is my question: Since the Elessedil’s are now related in a way through Wren Elessedil to the Omsford line, will we be seeing the Wishsong at some point manifest itself in their line or did it completely stop after Wren joined back with the elves?
Woops… did not mean to post this. Meant to submit that to the ask Terry box. lol. Well, Shawn, if you see this and want to answer it, go for it. Otherwise I will hope that Terry has an answer for this at some point. lol. Computers… gotta love them.
Are there plans for Indomitable to be printed in paper back? I plan on re-reading your work in order and see that you suggested Indomitable be read after the first trilogy.
Sadly, no. There are no plans.
Long Live the greatest Author of our time. Long live the King!
Shawn I noticed on the Australian version of Wards on chapter 9 a possible mistake in the first sentence:
“Where was no doubt about it. ”
Was the word where supposed to the “there”?
Yup, a screw up in the Orbit edition. The US edition is fine.
Hello,
I have read your Landover series and have now passed them on to my daughter. We both absolutely love the characters.
Will you be doing another Landover book in the future?
Terry does plan to write one more Landover novel but it won’t happen for at least five years UNLESS Hollywood makes a Landover movie. At which point Terry would write the last book.
Does a fantasy writer need to go to college to learn how to write as good as Terry or anybody else making it in this business or can you nurture your talent elsewhere? Ex: majoring in english/writing.
You nurture talent by writing, writing, writing. Many successful authors never went to college and/or never got a writing degree. Writing is the best way to learn so just go out and do it. 🙂
i want to side with Richards question to Terry Brooks. and suggest we hear a back story on Stee Jans. there is a brief over view of him in the Elfstones. it would be a very interesting story to see