Results tagged “christopher paolini”

So Eragon’s Guide to Alagaesia is out in bookstores now and so we thought it’d be nice to do a roundup of all the awesome things that are Alagaesia-related floating around on the web!

1. Check out a sneak peek of Eragon’s Guide to Alagaesia

2. Submit your questions for a monthly Q&A with Christopher Paolini over at Shurtugal

3. If you love games, we’ve got Become a Dragon Rider for you!

4. Rewatch the Live Chat with Christopher Paolini and Terry Brooks, then check out the follow-up post, Christopher Paolini Answers Your Questions

More follow-up from our very popular Terry Brooks & Christopher Paolini chat last week. Since so many of you submitted questions during the chat, the authors agreed to follow-up on a few questions which didn’t get answered. Today, Christopher Paolini answers your questions:

Hayley sue — Where do you both find the best place to write? I like to go to the local park, when it’s not raining.

Christopher Paolini: The best place for me to write is wherever I have the most peace and quiet. It’s very hard for me to concentrate on the images in my head if there’s a lot going on around me. At home I have an office, and that’s where I do most of my work.

Michael C. — Do either of you ever feel like the characters are controlling everything, and not you?

Christopher Paolini: Sometimes. When that happens, I try to get out of my own way, because the characters often end up doing things that I never anticipated, which is good. Over-planning things can be a problem when you plot the story out beforehand.

Xenia — so…question: how do you make your stories original? After all, there are so many stories about elves, dragons, mythological creatures out there.

Christopher Paolini: The very fact that you are telling a certain story instead of me, is going to make it original. If ten authors start with the exact same plot, they’ll end up writing ten completely different books, because they aren’t the same people. Write about whatever you want, and don’t worry about whether someone else has tackled the same subject before. It doesn’t matter, so long as you can tell an entertaining story. And I don’t know about you, but I like reading about elves and dwarves and dragons, and I hope more people write books about them.

Aria — I was wondering if you have any advice for someone who is new to writing, but really loves it? I love writing fantasy too.

Christopher Paolini: Plot your story out beforehand. This gives you a roadmap for where you’re going. Write every single day, whether or not you feel particularly inspired. Find someone in your life whom you trust (friend, parent, or teacher) who can read your work and give you some advice on how to improve it. And whatever happens—don’t give up!

Lauren — Christopher, I was wondering if Angela and Elva had any connection. Why else would Angela want to teach Elva how to behave if they weren’t connected?

Christopher Paolini: Angela doesn’t want Elva to turn into a hate-filled person as she grows up. So, Angela sees it as her duty to help guide Elva’s anger and frustration into more productive outlets.

Megan — Terry and Christopher, I also write books I was wondering how you keep all your characters in order? As I add books to my series I find it hard to remember all the little side characters.

Christopher Paolini: In my case, I keep separate files for: names of peoples, places, and things; every invented word; deleted scenes; timelines; notes on each of the books (which total several hundred pages at this point); summaries; and assorted odds-and-ends. It’s important to keep track of all these things from the very start; otherwise, collecting and organizing them ends up being a daunting task. I speak from experience.

LeeLee — Aloha, Christopher. Is there any point for me hoping for a sequel to Eragon, ie Eldest coming to the big screen? I’d even settle for a TV series ala Legend of the Seeker.

Christopher Paolini: It’s possible that Eldest might be adapted into a film, but, at the moment, I don’t know for certain.

Because of the overwhelming number of questions we received for both Terry Brooks and Christopher Paolini during their chat earlier this week, the authors have agreed to answer a few more of those questions which weren’t answered during the live chat. First, let’s hear from Terry Brooks. Stay-tuned for more answers from Christopher Paolini!

Aidan Moher - Terry, you’ve been a published writer for over 30 years now, and during that time (and with the sort of success you’ve experienced), it is easy to fall into routine, to get too comfortable with your writing. What can a writer with your background learn from new writers like Christopher?

Terry Brooks: Good question, Aiden. Writers never stop learning the craft, no matter how old they are or how long they’ve been writing. You have to pay attention to what’s going on in the business. Christopher took a common trope - the friendship between a man and an alien creature (I use that word advisedly where Saphira is concerned) - and develops it in a highly original way. What I’ve learned from Christopher is that dedication to your work at an early age can make a huge difference. No one thought he could do what he’s done, aside from his editor and his family, and look where he is. That’s amazing. It demonstrates anew that you can’t take anything for granted about what is and isn’t possible. Someone is always there to show you that you’re wrong, if you do.

Hayley sue - Where do you both find the best place to write? I like to go to the local park, when it’s not raining.

Terry Brooks: I write in only one place - my desk. I’m like Monk. I need all my stuff in place and arranged. I also need it quiet. No disturbances. I never learned how to work in strange places or with any noise around me.

Michael C. - Do either of you ever feel like the characters are controlling everything, and not you?

Terry Brooks: Can’t say that I have. I keep my characters on a pretty short rein. Every so often, they surprise me with a fresh idea about what they should do or be. But mostly, they are like actors in a movie or a play. They have to follow the script, even given some improvising.

Xenia - so…question: how do you make your stories original? After all, there are so many stories about elves, dragons, mythological creatures out there.

Terry Brooks: I was taught by my first editor, back in the day, that there are no original stories. It’s all been done before by someone, so give it up. What makes your story different is your voice, your approach to the telling of it. No one else will be able to do it just like you. So quit trying to be original and just tell a good story the way you think it should be told.

Aria - I was wondering if you have any advice for someone who is new to writing,but really loves it? I love writing fantasy too.


Terry Brooks: I have lots of advice. Most of it can be found in my book on the writing life, SOMETIMES THE MAGIC WORKS. I recommend it to anyone starting out. Mostly, aside from the book’s advice, I tell writers that they have to be patient with themselves, that it takes awhile to get a story right. But you need perseverance and determination. You have to develop instincts about what works and what doesn’t. You have to sit down and write, write, write.

Ann - Terry I heard you started out as a lawyer-how long did you do that for and when did you make the switch. Do you have advise for someone who works hard at a full time job and then wants to become a writer?

Terry Brooks: I was a practicing attorney from 1969 to 1986. I wrote all during that time and published four books. I quit the law after number four because at that point I felt I could call myself a writer and expect to make a living at it. Lots of writers have other jobs - most, in fact. You have to balance the two if you want to eat and satisfy your creative impulses.

Megan - Terry and Christopher, I also write books I was wondering how you keep all your characters in order? As I add books to my series I find it hard to remember all the little side characters.

Terry Brooks: Welcome to the club! The only way I can keep it all straight is to go back and read pertinent titles of previous books each time I sit down to do a new one in a series. Mostly, because I write generational sagas, I don’t have to remember all that much about something that happened several hundred years ago. Also, mostly the previous minor characters don’t have a place in every book. Otherwise, they wouldn’t be minor!

Jeff - Terry and Chris: If you write a book but haven’t come up with a title for it, what do you do to find that “perfect” title?

Terry Brooks: Finding the perfect title isn’t nearly so hard as persuading everyone in the publishing house that you aren’t mistaken. Every time out of the gate, I have to fight to keep my titles. Sometimes I win, sometimes I don’t. Sometimes you eat the bear, sometimes the bear eats you. Mostly, the right title emerges eventually, but I have given up on the idea that I alone know what that title is. I will say that it helps me to have a working title when I start out, even if it doesn’t end up the actual title.

Thanks again, Everyone! Terry.

Our Terry Brooks and Christopher Paolini chat last night was so popular that we couldn’t possibly publish every comment being submitted to the chat. But rest assured, we saw all of them and appreciate your participation. To give you an idea of how many of you were commenting, here is just a small selection of innocuous comments on the weather made between the minutes of 8:02 and 8:03pm Eastern:

19:02 TheWisdomSeeker — its raining in NC too! whats up with all the rain??
19:02 RuggishBone — Its Raining In Cali
19:02 Langley (Ontario) — A balmy 6 degrees and clear skies up in Canada
19:02 suzie — It’s sunny here - I’m in Adelaide in Australia :)
19:02 Shaderaiser84 — yup its raining in VA also
19:02 Frances — Hello, it’s cold here in upstate New York.
19:02 Shelby — raining in kansas city too
19:02 Lauren — It’s chilly over here in PA, but no snow yet.
19:02 joshlama — It’s cloudy in Sydney Australia.
19:02 francisco — Acá no,soy de Argentina de Buenos Aires. Llueve pero no nieva
19:03 Ashley Bateman-Lee — Greetings from cold southern Ohio. I REALLY DON’T LIKE RAIN!
19:03 Arezrod — Hello from Spain
19:03 S4phir4 — Yeah Lucky guys in America! Here in Europe its Deep, Deep night
19:03 Sourabh Subramaniam — Greetings from midnight in India
19:03 Asros — Greetings form very cold Finland
19:03 João — We’re having a summer storm here in Brazil!
19:03 Maria — It’s been chilly and looks to rain some more here in Arkansas.
19:03 stian — it was -7’c this nigth in norway :)
19:03 Shaderaiser84 — its a nasty 55 degrees and raining in virginia
19:03 jared — its in the high 90’s almost every day here in sunny miami
19:03 lobo — nay. its hot here in west texas
19:03 lanita — raining in oklahoma
19:03 iven — its cold here in indiana too
19:03 Josh B. — Rainy from Michigan
19:03 Michael — 87 in Orlando

Last night’s live chat between Terry Brooks, Christopher Paolini, and many of you was one of those incredibly fun times that almost demands to be shared. Well, go ahead and strike the almost from that last sentence; we’re excited to offer this chat up for you to embed on your site or blog and continue the discussion. Just grab the code below (right-click—or Apple-click—in the box below and choose “select all”) then copy and paste it into your website or blog*.

It’s that easy.

Or Download the chat codeby saving from this link.

Now, you know that, while the live event is over, there’s still a little more to come. We were flooded with comments and questions during the chat and just weren’t able to get to all of them. However, if your question wasn’t answered during the event last night, it might be answered soon. Both Terry Brooks and Christopher Paolini agreed to select a few questions from last night that weren’t answered then and write up their responses, which you will be able to find here on Suvudu.

Were you not able to watch the chat yesterday? You can view it online HERE. Take, talk, be merry! And keep your eyes here for more later.

For more information about the authors and for a list of their works, please visit our dedicated Christopher Paolini and Terry Brooks information page.

“Christopher is perhaps the most mature, confident young writer I have ever had the pleasure of meeting. I think his career will be long and successful, and I consider it a privilege to know him.” -Terry Brooks

Christopher Paolini. Eragon. Eldest. Brisingr.

Terry Brooks. Shannara. Landover. Word & Void.

What more do you need to say? They’re two of the hottest hands writing fantasy fiction today and are responsible for some of the hottest fantasy series’ since The Lord of the Rings. And tomorrow at 7pm EST (4pm PST), they’ll convene here, with you, to talk about all things fantasy.

Have you signed up for a reminder? It might be a good idea. Not only because it will enter you in to a drawing for a sweet prize pack containing a signed edition of Brisingr and a signed edition of World of Shannara (see the official rules here), but because this is one of those events you aren’t going to want to miss. I’ll give you the chance to sign up now, and then we’ll talk about what you might expect to see during the chat.

Okay, so here’s what we know about the chat. Christopher and Terry will open the chat by interviewing/speaking with one another. It’s a chance for them both to catch up and maybe ask a few questions of each other that they’re interested to know about. Then, we’ll move on to your questions.

Be sure to come by at the beginning of the chat and feel free to submit questions while Terry and Christopher are talking with each other, we’ll queue them up in the background so they’re ready to go later. Also, you never know if they’ll answer your question during that time, or perhaps give you additional insight that’ll reform your original question.

As for where the chat will take place, you can bookmark the official chat page we’ve created, hop on over to our front page on Suvudu.com where we will have an instance of the chat window, or sign up for an email reminder above, which should also include a link to the chat page. So there’s three ways to find the chat. Easy, right?

So sign up early, block out the time on your calendar (if you haven’t already), and grab a front row seat before the magic starts. I hope to see you there!

One of the best things about going to conventions and writing retreats is watching how authors interact with one another.

It can be quite a thing to watch and listen to.

I’ve witnessed authors become the best of friends over drinks; I’ve watched authors sit on panels and absolutely hate on each other like crazed wild cats. I’ve seen authors embarrassed to approach a colleague because they were a fan. I’ve listened to authors sing praises about others in their profession; I’ve heard authors talk shyte behind other authors’ backs.

As I said, it can be quite entertaining to sit on the sidelines and just watch and listen.

I am happy to report authors Terry Brooks and Christopher Paolini, the two authors for our Wednesday chat next week, have only great things to say about one another. They have been friends a long time now. Terry has a wealth of experience after 30 years of writingn and uses it every day; Christopher is coming into his own and handling his bestsellerdom with savvy and composure beyond his years.

It is great, therefore, that these two writers have a chance to chat with their fans together next week on Wednesday, October 14th!

Wanna enter a cool contest? It’s easy! Sign up for a Suvudu Live Christopher Paolini and Terry Brooks Chat Reminder by using the above widget between 12:01 AM EDT October 8, 2009 and midnight on October 14, 2009 and be entered into a random drawing to win one (1) of five (5) prize packs containing a signed edition of Brisingr by Christopher Paolini and a copy of The World of Shannara by Terry Brooks! Read the Rules For Entry.

Signing up for the chat reminder costs you nothing but not doing so could cost you a fun late afternoon / evening with two of the bestselling fantasy writers ever!

And visit the Chat Page for Terry and Christopher! As well as visit a list of books by both of them.

Come with questions or submit them early in the comments field below!

See you next Wednesday!

Order a latte at your favorite coffee house, it comes right up.

Try to order an out of print book at your local bookstore, it might be coming up faster than you think!

I live in Seattle. It is easily one of the largest reader cities in the world. The gloom and gray of our extended winters makes it so. We drink a lot of coffee. We buy a lot of books. We drink the coffee while reading a lot of books. We simply love everything that comes with sitting and reading. It’s in our genes.

Note: I’m more of a hot chocolate kind of guy once fall arrives, but don’t tell the rest of the coffee-saturated, caffeine hopped-up folks around me…

I had drinks last week with a publicist friend I’ve known for almost ten years. She was in town visiting her best friends and, having been in the industry for some time, has made a lot of friends who have relocated to Seattle. Those she invited out: a current editor at one of the local publishers, a former editor from Del Rey, two of her up-and-coming writer clients, a legalese production gamer, and a long-time sci-fi/fantasy expert from one of the local bookstores.

A fun group, all of whom work or have worked in the book industry.

The last one, the sci-fi/fantasy expert, divulged his bookstore will be getting a very cool contraption in November, one he hopes will create not only a new revenue stream for their bookstore but one that will help countless Seattle readers in their pursuit for knowledge, entertainment and publishing.

The bookstore in question is receiving an Espresso Book Machine!

Well, what is it?

As you can see from the video, the espresso book machine does exactly what you imagine it to. It is literally a printing press, small enough to fit in a bookstore, that allows the store to print and bind an out of print edition or print an on demand book within 10 minutes of taking an order. And on top of that it is affordable.

This is powerful technology.

And here’s why.

For the first time, readers and fans will have the opportunity to join a live online chat with authors, and friends, Terry Brooks and Christopher Paolini. On Wednesday, October 14, 2009, the authors will discuss the worlds of fantasy, film, and literature and take questions from fans.

We here at Suvudu are both thrilled and honored to have them drop by and we hope you’re equally as excited. This is your first announcement - mark your calendars now!

Christopher Paolini and Terry Brooks: coming together right here on October 14!

Sorry, this contest has ended, but thank you for your interest! Be sure to stop by and read about fantasy, science fiction, and comics-related news, opinions, and creator’s columns.

And here it is, the final entry in our Fantasy Road Trip to Comic-Con contest. And what a way to close with a bang, eh? We’re going to give you the opportunity to win an unabridged set of Christopher Paolini’s Inheritance Cycle novels, Eragon, Eldest, and Brisingr. And how do you enter?

Glad you asked. Here’s how:

Send us an email by July 17 to info@suvudu with your answer to the following:

If you could have a flying dragon like Saphira for one day, where would you go and what would you do?

As ever, you’ll want to make sure you read the legal fine print. And that’s it. Good Luck!

While you’re pondering the question, why not listen to a few samples from the audiobooks? Use the widget below to take an audio test drive.

On October 2nd, Shurtugal asked Christopher Paolini fans to send in their questions for an after-Brisingr interview. Now that he has returned from his tour, Christopher has answered the questions and the audio file is now available HERE! Enjoy!

It can be a rare thing to ask bestselling writers questions as they tend to only tour a dozen or so cities for a new book’s release and then disappear back into their writing seclusion to work on the next book.

Gotta keep the fans happy, right?

Here is one such opportunity. Now that Brisingr has been published for almost two weeks, Christopher Paolini is opening himself up to questions from his fans!

Visit Shurtugal.com for more information on how to ask Christopher your most pressing questions—and get the answers you crave!

David Anthony Durham, author of Acacia, also does a bit of writing for The Washington Post from time to time. David is one of the smarter people you’ll ever meet, a writer who has a flair for the balanced and is not prone to rash statements or obtuse thinking.

It is no surprise to me then that when The Washington Posts asked him to review Brisingr by Christopher Paolini, David would approach it with the same balanced outlook he brings to the rest of his life. The review, For Fantasy Fans, the Dragons Fly Again, is a fair look at the new book from the perspective of another fantasy writer who is an adult still retaining some aspect of that young boy who used to play D&D once upon a time.

After reading David’s review, I got to thinking: What does Christopher Paolini bring to the genre?

In my last post I promised you videos of the big release party from the Barnes & Nobel in Union Square, Manhattan (33 East 17th if you’re interested, heckuva store they’ve got there). Anyway, let it not be said that I am anything other than a man of my word.

In the first video, Christopher Paolini talks about Brisingr, fields a few questions from the audience before officially unveiling the latest addition to the Inheritance Cycle:

Christopher Paolini Reads from Brisingr after the jump…

Amid a crowd of hundreds of fans, Christopher Paolini unveiled and read from his new novel Brisingr at just past midnight on Saturday. To say the air was electric would be putting it lightly. And naturally Suvudu was there, because, c’mon, Dragonriders, epic battles, and magic? You’re talking about a native Suvuduian’s natural habitat.

Opening up the ceremony was a reading from the previous book Eldest by Gerard Doyle, the voice behind the Inheritance Cycle’s audiobooks. Mr. Doyle began his reading with a caveat that live readings were tricky, especially when reading more complex material like the Christopher Paolini’s novels as there aren’t studio engineers present to clean up his mistakes. Naturally, he proceeded to read his chosen chapter flawlessly.

If you’re into audiobooks then you know that a good reader makes all the difference. They can make or break a story with their decisions on how to present the material. I have not yet listened to the Inheritance Cycle audiobooks, but Gerard’s live performance not only silenced the room, but you could feel the ebb and flow of the book pour forth from his lips as he read. It was amazing and the perfect warm up for the main event.

More after the jump…

Last week, Random House released an excerpt from Brisingr, Book Three in the Inheritance Cycle by Christopher Paolini. Today, they have released a video of Paolini reading from that same excerpt.

It is the first public reading of Brisingr for Paolini. Care to hear the young writer read from his own book? Click the video above!

Brisingr, Book Three in Christopher Paolini’s Inheritance Cycle, will be published on September 20th.

Random House and Knopf Books have released several small excerpts or interesting spoiler tidbits from Brisingr over the last two months, driving Paolini fans wild with speculation and enthusiasm. Yesterday was the newest: Chapter Excerpt from Brisingr!

If you are fan of Eragon and Eldest, there you go—a new excerpt from the next book! Enjoy!