February ASK TERRY Posted

terry-brooksFor many years the only chance a fan had of speaking to Terry was to meet him at tour events or conventions.

With the establishment of this website in 2000, Terry began accepting two questions from each fan per month. On the last day of the month, five questions are randomly drawn. Terry answers these five questions and they are posted monthly for your enjoyment.

Below are the questions selected last month and Terry’s answers! Enjoy!

Note: This section may contain spoilers!

Dear Readers,

In spite of a concerted effort to bring me down through sheer exhaustion from vetting scripts and rough cuts, I am still functioning enough to answer a few Ask Terry questions. Mostly, I think I have to since I have fallen so far behind. And so…

Derik Silvia writes: Keeping in mind that it took many years for the Shannara name to hit TV screens, has there ever been any discussions for filming any of the Running with the Demon series?

Terry Brooks replies: Such discussions have been confined to myself and my agent and my wife, so far. There has always been interest, but you don’t want to rush into these things. I do know better now than I did before how to make the pain go away, but it is a tricky business keeping control over your material. After the success of Shannara Chronicles, I don’t want to throw that away.

Rick Trupp writes: The Hall of Kings is fascinating and we’ve seen too little of it. Banshees, Sphinxes and poison coated treasure; it would appear that someone of substantial power would be necessary to bind such entities to one place. Will we get to know the story of how this came about?

Terry Brooks replies: To tell you the truth, I hadn’t given the Hall of Kings much thought in a long time. But I will do so now. Writing about it in the Shannara pre-history will require some planning. Add it to the list.

Jonathan Hill writes: Do you foresee the permanent collapse of the Forbidding as a way to “reset” the magical world and a means to bind the 4 lands together with magic and science merging to combat evil?

Terry Brooks replies: I appreciate your interest Jonathan, but if I did have a plan like that I sure as heck wouldn’t be talking about it before it was written. Since I am just now ramping up for the conclusion to the series, I will have to ask you to wait awhile. Or, as I am so fond of saying, be patient. All will be revealed eventually.

Kevin Lorenz writes: If you were to have a cameo in the Shannara TV show, what would you be? Elf, Druid, Troll or something else?

Terry Brooks replies: I would be a Mwellret. That way you would recognize me right away.

Dawn Sanguedolce writes: Since visiting the filming in New Zealand and being blown away by the scope of the sets and seeing the actors who will play your characters, do you feel this will have an effect on your future works and/or the way you write?

Terry Brooks replies: Not really. It was energizing and satisfying both to see how well the show was coming together. You hope for all that to be the case, but you can never be sure until you see the finished product. But my writing is a separate creative process, and the influence of the TV show on further works won’t be much. After all, Elfstones is far in the past, and I am writing far in the future.

Okay, see you next month with the next batch. Or maybe sooner with something else.

Be well,

Please completely fill in the form below and send the two questions you want to ask Terry this month.


2 responses to “February ASK TERRY Posted”

  1. Running with the Demon is probably a serious possibility in the long term if Chronicles is even moderately successful.

    I’m almost surprised it wasnt first on the list…but then it might be too similar to TW.

  2. Ok I have to admit, of all the places that intrigue me the most is the Hall of Kings. To bring that to life or specifically the history of the Hall of Kings would blow my mind. And that of many of your readers. I’m sure it’s not a easy story to write, but I have faith!