RJ Chat Session (June 28)
Don HARLOW
This is edited from my log of this afternoon's chat
session with Robert Jordan, who is currently at
DragonCon. I have removed all comments during
unmoderated periods when RJ was off-line due to
technical difficulties, as well as his single-period
comment terminators; I've combined multi-line replies
into single paragraphs; I've reordered lines in two
places where the moderator put in a new question
before RJ was done replying to the previous one. Other
than that, this is faithful to the discussion.
Important points:
1) Schedule and title of next book
2) At least three more books
3) Museum-quality Wheel of Time weapons replicas
4) Progress of Legend's Wheel of Time game
5) WoT short story
6) 800 number for info on the series
7) No, you may _not_ write fanfic based in the WoT
universe!!!
8) "Read and Find Out!"
---
Q: OK, let's begin. Robert, any opening statements...
A: No. Let the questions begin.
Q: Is it true that the 8th book may be released as early
as November 97?
A: No. The 8th book will be finished sometime this Fall,
and published next Spring. The title will be The Path
of Daggers.
Q: How does it feel being the best fantasy writer ever ?
*smile*
A: Thanks. *blush* Aw, shucks.
Q: I've noticed the influence of Stephen Donaldson in the
WOT. Has he been a great influence?
A: No. I'm really surprised.
Q: How many do you expect to write in this series?
A: There will be at least 3 more books. I'm not saying
that there will be ONLY 3. I'm saying that I can't
finish in fewer than 3.
Q: Mr Jordan, does the name of Book 8 refer to an actual
situation in the books or is it a metaphor?
A: Metaphor.
Q: Would you allow the series to be made into a series
of movies if the were going to be as great as the books?
A: Sure. If they were going to be as good as the books.
Q: I think some of the books are a lot better than others
in the series... is this because of pressure from your
editor? Did you ever have to publish a book when you knew
it wasn't quite finished or that it could have been
better given more time?
A: No, I've never had to publish a book that I believed was
not finished. On the other hand, I always have to set
myself a cut-off point. otherwise, I will keep rewriting
and rewritiing and the period between the books will
stretch out to, oh, five or six years.
Q: What cultures and socieities did you base Saldaea on?
And <nervous grin>, is the sa'sara supposed to be a sort
of belly-dance? <duck>
A: Saldaea is based, in part, on a number of middle eastern
cultures and several cultures in countries surrounding
the Black Sea. In part. The sa'sara, now... You'll need a
certificate from your doctor, a note from your mother and
a certificate of health for whoever you intend to dance
it for before I can give you any more information beside
the name.
Q: Ive notice a bit of an influence from the Star Wars
series...is there any truth to this?
A: (lol) No. I don't read Star Wars books.
Q: Who killed Asmodean? ;-)
A: Rafo.
Q: Talking about rewriting your books... I know you have a
general idea about what is going to be in a book once you
start writing it, but how much does it actually differ from
the story layout once you get caught up in the writing
process?
A: The difference varies. Some parts are very close to what
I intended in the beginning, some parts vary to a great
degree. it all depends on how I feel things should weave
together at the particular moment I'm writing them.
Q: WOuld Rand technically be a bladesmaster since he killed
the Seanchan BM in Great Hunt? Or is there more to being a
bladesmaster than that?
A: There's more to it than that.
Q: Will rand end up with all three girls or just one? =)
A: Rafo.
Q: Would making all Aes Sedai reswear the 3 oaths on an oath
rod, and then asking them, reveal if they are Black Ajah?
(It should...)
A: There are certain difficulties with this. It might
answer the question but how many sisters do you think will
meekly submit to being asked to do such a thing? Being
asked to do it is in effect an accusation.
Q: How much of the series do you plot out beforehand, and
how much is written as you go?
A: Before I began writing the first book, I knew the
beginning, I knew the last scene of the last book, I knew
ALL of the major events that I wanted to happen, I knew
how all of the major relationship would go, I knew how
people would be affected by those relationships, I knew
who was going to live, I knew who was going to die...
You can see, I knew a good bit, including that last scene
of the last book and how all of the relationships were
going to end up. I have left myself the freedom to change
the way that I go from one point to another, depending on
what seems best at the moment. You might say it's like
sketching in the larger out line of the story and leaving
the details to be variable.
Q: Is it possible to go to the Dreamworld in the flesh, and
take something with you out through the Gateway?
A: No.
Q: Are you online? Do you have any access to the
WoT discussion groups?
A: No.
Q: Mr Jordan does the guide have pictures of every
character?
A: Not every character, but a good many of them. All
of the major characters, certainly.
Q: me and my fiancee met in a channel devoted to your
books, if we send you an invitation will you come?
*smile*
A: Thanks for the invitation but I'm sorry, I just
am too busy writing the books.
Q: You mentioned a museum-quality Wheel of Time
weapons series a while back. Can you give us some
more information on this?
A: I will be talking to Hank Reinhardt of Museum
Replicas this weekend and he will be showing me
the prototypes of the first weapons that are to
be manufactured. I believe that they will be
available for the first time in the Fall of this
year, but I'm not certain about that, it might be
the Spring of next year.
Q: is Rand the most powerful channeler alive
right now?
A: RAFO.
Q: Do you put any of your friends or your personal
character traits into your characters?
A: No, none of my friends, none of me. There is a
touch of my wife in all of the major female
characters, however, and a good many of the
secondary female characters. She's a very
complex woman.
Q: So far all that is known about the final test
before becoming Aes Sedai is that it involves
channeling under extreme pressure. Would you be
willing to give a little more detail? And if not,
will we find out more later in the books or
perhaps the Guide?
A: There will be more specific information about
testing for Aes Sedai in the books themselves.
For that reason, I really don't want to tell you
anything here because it might spoil some
surprises. At the very least, it might make you
get to that point and say "gee, I know this stuff!
He's getting boring!"
Q: How do you keep a series this complex together in
your mind?
A: Nothing that any genius couldn't do.
Q: About the upcoming (and looking really great) Wheel
of Time game by Legend Entertainment... how much
control over the game do you have ? (I'd hate seeing
it ripped for the wot feeling)... do you think it
would be possible to move the one power into the
game, working as it is to be understood in the
books, and what is your overall opinion about making
a game of the books b4 the books are finished ? (I
know it's a prequel, but anywayz ... )
A: I'm happy about making a game about the books
before the books are finished. There have been some
compromises between what I wanted in the games and
what Legand wanted. At first, they told me that they
couldn't do certain things until later and I said
"well, here's your money back." After which, they
decided that maybe they could do those things now
and, in fact, it seems that these things are part of
what look to make this one of the hottest games -
and maybe the hottest game - anywhere in sight.
Q: Mr.Jordan, how do you feel when someone finds a
minor or perhaps a major inconsistency in your books
(I'm not saying there are any :P)? Do you say "Oh
well, better luck next time" or do you get really
upset?
A: Sometimes people have found things that are typos,
and sometimes people have found a place where a
change or correction that I had intended to be put
into the book was not before it was published. I
always try to get those corrected as soon as possible
after they're found. And, while I don't like having
them there, I'm glad when someone points one out to
me. As for inconsistencies, I'm afraid
inconsistancies are a failure to read the books
correctly. Everytime somebody has come to me with an
inconsistency, I have been able to point out in a
return letter where their mistake was.
Q: I've noticed a lot of the names in your books are
based of historical cultures. Which culture do you
think has influenced your books the most?
A: I think it's a toss-up between the ancient Celts,
the Japanese of the Shogunates, and France of the
17th Century. But then, there are a lot of bits and
pieces that have come from a great many sources.
I'm not truthfully certain that the three that I
gave you really ARE the greatest influences.
Q: how much of Jesus Christ is there in Rand? We have
the wounded palms, side wound, crown of swords...
How representational of JC is Rand?
A: Rand has some elements of Jesus Christ, yes. But
he is intended more to be a general "messiah
figure." An archetype such as Arthur, rather than
a manifestation of Jesus Christ in any way.
Q: has your background in physics and as a member of
the US army influenced your books?
A: It could hardly help having done so.
Q: What do you think has been your best book thus
far? Do you like writing more action or more for
the human emotions?
A: My best book is the one that I'm working on now.
My best book is ALWAYS the one I'm working on now.
And, as far as I'm concerned, action is always
secondary. The main part of the story is the
relationships between people. Those relationships
sometimes lead to god-awful troubles, battles, etc.,
etc. but it's the relationships that are the
important things.
Q: Are you considering writing any more short stories
based on the Wheel of Time?
A: I have agreed to do a short story in the
universe of the Wheel of Time for an anthology
put together by Bob Silverberg called "Masters
of Fantasy," which I understand will include
Stephen King, Anne Rice, Terry Pratchett, Ray
Feist and some other people. That's it, really,
as far as short fiction. I don't normally have
the time to write short fiction.
Q: what other things keep you busy apart from
working a lot on The Wheel of Time?
A: Hmm. Trying to finish the books would be
enough for any sane person. I occasionally
find time to go fishing, although not so far
this year. I find time to read a little bit.
Less than one book a day now. And I don't
really have a great deal of time for anything
else. When I'm doing anything else, I feel I
should be writing. It's a sickness. [smiles]
Q: Is there an E-mail address where we can write
to you??
A: No. There is a way that you can get the latest
information on the Wheel of Time series. By
dialing: 1-800-221-7945. Then extension 701.
This number is St. Martin's press, and the
extension has me telling you what the latest
information is about when the next book will be
out, what the price will be, that sort of thing.
Q: Will we being seeing more of the snakes and
foxes in the next book?
A: RAFO.
Q: Do you think a two hour movie could ever do the
series justice? Or would it at least have to be a
trilogy of some sort?
A: I think it would take at least 18 or 20 hours of
movie to do any one of the books. Which means, I
suppose, that none of them will ever be done as
movies.
Q: did you anticipate, and do you appreciate such a
cultish following?
A: I certainly never anticipated it. I'm not
certain that it is a "cultish" following. I hope
that it doesn't fall under that definition. As far
as appreciating it, I'm very appreciative. I hope
that's what you mean.
Q: What made you decide on Robert Jordan as your
pseudonym? Is it Hemingway?
A: No, it wasn't Hemingway. I simply wanted to
separate the different kinds of books that I wrote
with different names, and I made lists of names
with my real initials and picked one name from one
list and one from another, and Robert Jordan was
one of the names that popped out.
Q: Will you do any more Conan books?
A: No. I *did* that a loooooong time ago.
Q: How do you feel personally about fan fiction such
as drawings and music about the wheel of time?
A: I enjoy hearing music about the Wheel of Time and
seeing drawings about the Wheel of Time. As far
as the fan fiction goes - that is, stories -
please remember copyright, guys. To protect my
copyright, I have to keep on top of anyone who
violates it. So, no fan fiction using my characters
or my world. Sorry. Using the ornaments out of the
books is a different matter. That is a violation
of copyrights, trademarks. When I say I like seeing
art about the Wheel of Time, I mean art that the
fans created themselves. And remember guys, you
can't try to make money out of this stuff.
Q: Was Ishamael ever REALLY sealed in Shayol Ghul
with the DO and the rest of the Forsaken/Chosen?
A: Would I lie to you? For details, RAFO.
A: Thanks for coming guys. It was good talking with
you.
Don HARLOW
http://www.webcom.com/~donh/
(English version available at http://www.webcom.com/~donh/dona.html)