Read an interview by Crydee with Raymond E. Feist on writing, and his latest book Wrath of a Mad God, the final instalment of the exciting Darkwar Saga (Exclusive to Crydee)
Being the last book of a trilogy, we assume you had an idea of where the story was going to take you, but did you know how you were going to get there ?
I never do. I have some sense of what each character needs to do to get me where I want to go, but I don't always have everything plotted. Sometimes things are done that are just there, until later books, when suddenly they make sense.
How do you develop new plot ideas after writing so many books in the Midkemian world ?
I find really good Scotch helps, as well as fear of being homeless . . .
No one ever asks that of a writer of any fiction save fantasy or SF. No one ever asked Elmore Leonard if he was stuck for ideas after writing so many books in the world of Earth.
Which character(s) in the books did you have most fun writing about ?
They're all good, but I enjoy the smart-asses the most, I guess, so Amos, Jimmy, Nakor, etc.
Were there any characters you just really wanted to kill, as they just didn't see the story your way?
No, because they all have dramatic reasons for being there.
How do you find real life incidents affected the way you looked at the story ?
That's what being a writer is about, really. You take what you've experienced in life, love, loss, heartache, whatever, and you append it to your characters. It's what gives the work an emotional context.
In your opinion what was the hardest part of writing Wrath of a Mad God ?
Making sure I tucked in the loose ends. After twenty five novels it's easy to forget there's stuff from the Riftwar or Serpentwar I need to pay attention to, and there's always the dreaded deadline.
How do you rate the writing of this book compared to the previous 2 of this series?
Third acts are always more linear. I have a pretty good idea of where we're going to be after the 2nd book.
When readers finish the book will they find more unanswered questions than were answered?
I don't keep score. I think this one may provide a few more than it asks, but in the end, I won't "wrap things up" until the last book in the RIftwar Cycle.
For those who don't understand the writing process, can you describe Raymond E Feist in "writing mode"?. (e.g. Is it coffee to hand, baseball cap and jeans, and a do not disturb under pain of death sign on the door)
Coffee. Lots of coffee. I get up. I put on the pot. I go to the bathroom and do the morning thing. After showering, clothing depends on the weather; if it's cold, sweats and jeans; if it's hot, ratty old gym shorts. Coffee. Write. Coffee. Write. Then change clothes and have a life. That's my usual day.
And finally, how is the next series progressing?
Life interrupts, again. I'm moving, so real work on the book won't pick up until late next month. Hope to have it all done in the month following.
This interview is copyright 2008 Crydee.com and may not be reproduced without permission.
