Q & A
For those seeking to learn more about Eldon or his work, this is a good place
to start. Answers to commonly asked questions (or in some cases, the most
unusual) are posted below. Have a question
that has not yet been answered? Send us an
email and we'll post a
response as soon as possible. Although there may be some overlap, we've done
our best to organize questions and responses into the following
categories:
Story - Questions pertaining to the
stories in Eldon's books, both general and volume-specific.
Craft - Questions pertaining
to the craft of writing.
Personal - Questions about Eldon
himself (background, goals, preferences, and more). You may click on
any question to view Eldon's response. For reasons of length (and to
help avoid spoilers), answers will
appear in a secondary popup window, which can be closed at any time.
Story
Note: To help avoid potential spoilers, volume-specific questions
are indicated by one of the following:
[CS] = Crimson Sword [OK] = Obsidian
Key [DT] = Divine Talisman
Q: Did you
forget about "so-and-so"? Why doesn't he/she play a bigger role?
[04.2006] Q:
Have we
seen the last of "so-and-so", or will he/she reappear in later volumes?
[04.2006] Q:
How do you
pronounce "Asahiel"? [05.2007] Q: [CS]
Jarom seems to
lack any special skills or powers. What makes him
the hero of this story? [04.2006] Q: [CS]
Why does Jarom
"think" so much? [04.2006] Q: [CS]
How do
you explain Killangrathor's unexpected frenzy at the end of The
Crimson Sword? [04.2006] Q: [CS]
Why does Kylac
have such a strange and unique accent? [04.2006] Q: [CS]
Can you tell me
more about the origin and nature of Kylac's blades? [04.2006]
Q: [CS] Why
do your major villains in The Crimson Sword seem to get so little
"screen time"? [04.2006]
Q: [CS] After
all the build-up, why was [spoiler] so easy to kill? [04.2006]
Q: [OK] Is
[spoiler] really dead? [05.2007]
Q: [OK] Why
isn't [spoiler] in the second book? Where did he go? [05.2007]
Q: [OK] Was
[spoiler] meant to be a surprise? Part of me suspected it all along.
[05.2007]
Q: [OK] I
find Book 2 to be depressing. Many bad things happen, few good things
do. Why? [05.2007]
Q: [OK]
Why sever the relationship between [spoiler] after what they had been
through? [05.2007]
Q: [OK]
Did Cianellen orchestrate [spoiler]? [05.2007]
Q: [OK]
Cianellen speaks of erasing [spoiler]. Does this
refer to [spoiler]? [05.2007]
Q: [OK]
Why do the principal characters, who are friends, seem so stiff and
formal in their interactions? [05.2007]
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Craft
Q: I am an
unpublished writer. Will you read and critique my work?
[04.2006]
Q: What are
your thoughts on fan fiction? [04.2006]
Q: How
did you go about getting published? Any advice you can share?
[04.2006]
Q: I have
a great idea for a story you should write. Would you like to hear it?
[04.2006]
Q: My unpublished manuscript
is over 150,000 words. Is that too long? [04.2006] Q:
Should I use a
prologue to help introduce my story? [04.2006] Q:
I'd like
to write a novel, but it seems like such a huge undertaking. Any
suggestions? [04.2006] Q:
I've been told the
"pacing" of my story is too slow. What does that mean, exactly, and how
do I fix it? [05.2007] Q:
I've been told
my novel has too much exposition and/or backstory. How do I fix it?
[05.2007] Q:
Can I
write a war story without spending pages and pages on the actual battle?
[05.2007] Q:
Do you think
writing is a God-given talent? Or can anyone do it if they have enough
determination? [05.2007] Q:
Do you outline
your stories in advance? If so, do you write it down, or just keep it
all in your head? [05.2007] Q:
How detailed is your
outline? Is it plot or character driven? [05.2007] Q:
When is it okay to
use a lot of description? When should I avoid it? [05.2007]
Q: How do I write an
engaging query letter? [05.2007] Q:
How detailed should
my synopsis be? Does it help to send this instead of just a query
letter? [05.2007] Q:
What
questions do you ask yourself in order to turn your characters into
living, breathing people? [05.2007] Q:
What is your
philosophy on when and why to change points of view during a story?
[05.2007] Q: How
important are names in a story, and how do you come up with yours?
[05.2007] Q: I can
never seem to finish a story because I always burn out before the end.
Any advice? [05.2007]
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Personal
Q:
What would you have been if you couldn't be a writer?
[04.2006]
Q: How are
your books doing in terms of sales? [04.2006]
Q: Of
the characters you've created, which is your favorite?
[04.2006]
Q: You
seem to enjoy killing off characters—sometimes
as soon as they are introduced. Why is that? [04.2006]
Q: Do you
ever envy the success of other fantasy authors? [04.2006]
Q: Do you
read a lot of other fantasy? Or do you worry about becoming derivative?
[04.2006]
Q: Do you
listen to music when you write? If so, what do you listen to?
[04.2006]
Q: What's
your writing schedule like? [04.2006]
Q:
What made you want to become a writer?
[04.2006] Q:
Do you read reviews of your work? How do you deal with criticism? [05.2007]
Q:
How has your writing life changed since being published? Did it pick up
once you "caught the wave"? [05.2007]
Q:
Your second book seems to be much stronger than the first. Would you
agree? [05.2007] Q:
Do you
ever base any of your characters on people from real life?
[05.2007] Q:
Why do you write with so many distinct voices? Why not focus on a
singular tone and point of view? [05.2007] Q:
What is your
definition of a good book? [05.2007]
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