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Q: Have you ever read Dragonsworn magazine? it is an online magazine, interesting reading, well put together - www.dragonsworn.com.
A: I don't believe I've ever seen it. There is a magazine called Dragonsworn? I would very much appreciate if anyone who has a copy would send it to me care of my publisher.
Q: Are you married? Children? Grandchildren?
A: I am married, to Harriet. Who is also my editor! And who, as everyone out there knows, is the source of at least one major characteristic of each of the major female charcters in the books. And one son, William, who is a graphic designer, artist, writer, who just quit his job at Sony because he was tired at being stifled, and I told him to go for it, for Gods' sakes.
Q: When do you ever get a break? Time for yourself? And how do you spend that time?
A: Generally, I work 10-12 hrs a day, 7 days a week sometimes my wife will say to me, you're working too hard, go fishing, and sometimes I will. And sometimes she will say to me, I want you to see something on the porch, and when I go downstairs, there's a fishing guide waiting, and she tells me to go away and fish. That's about it except for the occasional stops to fish when I'm traveling, there's too much to write and not enough years. She's a wonderful person, the empress of the known universe!
Q: Since you know the whole WOT series, how do you remember it all? Photomemory?
A: No my father had a photomemory, but I don't. All I have to work with is a good memory, and an IQ of 170 or so, it works out well enough.
Q: Speaking of your wife reminded me. Are you planning on updating the telephone message thing at TOR after you're done with your tour? And what's that piano I hear in the background on the recording that's there now?
A: I don't know what the piano music is except that I generally play classical music when I am working. I listen to Jazz, Rock, Country, various music--Deco, all sorts of things when I am relaxing--but I have to work to Classical and since I changed the CDs out I really couldn't tell you what particular piece it is. And as for updating the message, I will. I am told that the subject was broached while I was still working on the book -- not to me-- and the question was raised as to whether it was better for me to spend time updating the message or to go ahead and work. Since even a ten minute break can mean an hour or more getting back into the flows and rhythyms apparently the decision reached was don't bother the man!
Q: Welcome, Robert! We're thrilled to have you with us here. Why do you think "The Wheel of Time" series has struck such a chord with fantasy readers? Do you have any speculations about its amazing popularity?
A: No, I don't really. I write stories I try to write stories about real people. I'm really glad the books are popular.
Q: Why have you changed your writing style for the past two books?
A: I haven't. The last two books are more concentrated in time than the previous books, but since the first book, there has been a narrowing of the time frame. So that by A Crown Of Swords, the book covered only about eleven days and we're now beginning to widen out again.
Q:
A: One of the themes of the book is that no one knows everything there is to know. Another is that just because you believe something to be true, doesn't mean that it is true. Someone can judge a current strength. This differs between men and women. A woman that can channel can very accurate judgement of another woman's strength whether she is channeling or not if she is standing close enough. Among Aes Sedai at least, knowledge of potential strength, especially if it is thought to be a great strength, becomes very wide spread. Among men the circumstances are different. A man who can channel cannot judge the strength of another unless the other is channeling the One Power of holding the One Power, and even then all he can judge is how much of the One Power the other man is holding. He can't say how much he can hold. There are great differences between men and women in the One Power.
Q: How long does it take you to write a full-length novel?
A: The Eye of The World took four years. The next five took fourteen or fifteen months each,. A Crown of Swords took 22 months. The Path of Daggers took a little less than that, but during that book I wrote "New Spring" for the Legends anthology. And I also did a lot of work on a title coming up: The Illustrated Guide.
Q: Do you outline your books before you begin writing them?
A: Yes, and no. At the beginning of a book, I make a list of the major events that that book will cover. I've known from the beginning all the events I wanted to cover and the last scene of the last book in detail. I could have written that one fifteen years ago. I know exactly where I'm going, you see. The list that I make always has to be pared down though, because I always believe i can fit more into a novel than I can find room to fit.
Q: I'm curious about your writing methods - do you write for a set number of hours every day? Morning or night? Do you prefer a computer or do you write long-hand on yellow legal pads? Enquiring minds want to know!
A: I most definitely write on a cmputer. I upgrade it about every 18 months. At the moment I'm using a Pentium 266 MMX with 32 MB ram and a 10G hard drive. I'll upgrade that in another six months. My writing day goes as follows: After breakfast i answer the phone calls and letters that I have to answer from yesterday. Then i start writing. I seldom stop for lunch and I stop about six or seven at night. That's seven days a week. Occasionally I take a day off to go fishing.
Q: The general consensus seems to be that the Bowl of Winds caused the weirdness in the power around Ebou Dar. Do we know enough at this time to determine the true cause or do we have to RAFO more info?
A: I think you know enough by this point. It is intuitively obvious to the most casual observer. I always hated it when my math professors said that.
Q: What's your fav sci-fi movie?
A: Actually I think i have to go all the way back to Forbidden Planet. My favorite fantasy movie would have to be Excalibur. There are a lot of good science fiction movies out there, from Bladerunner to The Day The Earth Stood Still to The Terminator, but nothing can touch Excalibur.
Q: Do you see a movie coming in the future?
A: Not unless someone wants to make an 18 hour film. That's how long any one of these books would take, I believe. and no one is doing miniseries any more. Of course, "New Spring" has just been released but no one has come sniffing around yet. Boorman would be the guy.
Q: What do you think of the parallels drawn between you and Tolkien?
A: I assume the questioner means the parallels drawn by David Rothstein of the NYT. I find them interesting. I was not aware there were quite so many.
Q: How can the Dark One win?
A: There are degrees of victory. The Dark One can acheive victory by breaking free, but can also acheive lesser victories. Such as by stopping the Dragon Reborn from doing other things he was born to do. It isn't as simple as him being born to fight The Dark One. It's never simple.
Q: Will there be a Wheel of Time Role Playing Game?
A: There is a computer game coming from Legend Entertainment to be released next spring. I am told it was the absolute hit of the #e show this past summer. And if I can believe the things that various computer gaming magazines said, it will be one of the best or perhaps even the best game to be released in years.
Q: You mention different accents, like the Taraboner and Murandian, as well as the slurred speech of the Seanchan. Are any of these accents and dialects at all comparable to those in this world, and if so, which ones sound like which?
A: To some degree, some of them are like accents from this world. It would be a bit much to go into here to discuss which ones are like which. Let your mind go free.
Q: I'm impressed by the scene details, especially the towns, what were your best research resources?
A: Too many to go into forty odd years of reading and studying and traveling really, too many to go into.
Q: What advice would you give to a young and aspiring writer? And are these just rumors I hear that you might come to Portland, Oregon soon for a signing?
A: I was in Portland Oregon several days ago for a signing. My advice to a writer is to write; write and send it to paying markets.