Terry Brooks: The Secrets Behind His Success

New York Times best-selling author Terry Brooks has been writing fantasy novels for over 35 years. Below, he chats with iVillagers about what inspires him to write, how he develops his stories and characters and what his fans can look forward to in the future.

iVillager hendell: You wrote Hook and Star Wars Episode 1 based on the movies. Have you ever considered getting the Shannara series moved to the big screen?

Terry Brooks: I've considered it, but so far, no one has wanted to pay the money to have it done, nor has anyone come up with a decent script! I figure that the

rights will sell about 30 years after my death, like J.R.R. Tolkien!

iVillager hendell: What inspired you to write?

Terry Brooks: I was inspired by different writers whose books I read early in my youth. As far as creating stories, I really like the idea of putting words together to create scenes and images and finding a way to make the story come alive. I really don't think I could still be writing professionally if I wasn't so intrigued by the writing process.

iVillager steven666: When will the new book Jarka Ruus be out?

Terry Brooks: It comes out in September 2003. The following two books in the trilogy come out in Septembers of 2004 and 2005.

iVillager nbk87: What is the future of Shannara? What comes next?

Terry Brooks: I'm still trying to figure out what comes next in the High Druid trilogy. I haven't given a lot of thought to where the stories will go after that. When writing books you discover while writing where the story needs to go. Maybe I should say that the writing tells you what needs to happen next! The one thing I can count on is that, by the time I finish the High Druid trilogy, I will know exactly where I want to go with the series thereafter. This doesn't mean that I will have all of the details in place, only that I will know in general what it is I want to write about next.

iVillager mattscudder: What is your process for revising your novels? Do you revise and edit as you go or once the whole book is done? How many drafts do you write?

Terry Brooks: I work on a computer, so most of the revision work is done during the writing of the first draft. This is just the way I work. I find it easier to make changes in that first draft rather than come back and try to make them later. I can get away with this because I spend so much time outlining my stories before I write them. Usually after the first draft, I will do a line edit of the hard copy and that will be that. Then it goes through my wife, who also line edits the book, then to my editor, who will line edit and make suggestions.

iVillager illumina05: Will you go on a tour any time soon (California, in particular)?

Terry Brooks: I'll be in California for the L.A. Festival of Books the last weekend in April 2003 and I expect to visit a few bookstores while there. At the moment, though, I don't know what they will be. I will post that information on my website Terrybrooks.net once I know it.

iVillager dmbrebel33: Which character of the Shannara series has been your absolute favorite to write about? Which was the most enjoyable to see develop and interact with the situations and environments to which you exposed them?

Terry Brooks: That's a really hard question to answer, because I'm strongly attached to so many of the characters, but for different reasons. I like it when a character surprises me by becoming more important to the story than I thought he or she would be. Typical of that are Slanter, the gnome in Wishsong, and Rhyer Ord Star the seer in Voyage. I also like writing about characters who change dramatically during the course of the story. Sometimes this will turn out to be an Ohmsford, but sometimes it's a supporting character, as well. I thought that Truls Rohk was a good example of a character that changed dramatically and surprised me with his role in the story.

iVillager shawnkraft: How did you get your first book published? How hard was it?

Terry Brooks: I sent my manuscript for Sword to DAW books at a time when they were publishing about 25 paperback originals a year. I chose them by reading about the writer's market and looking in bookstores. They kept the book for about six or eight months and sent it back with a note suggesting that I try Del Rey. I did, and Del Rey picked up the book. There's a lot more about this that you can read about in the memoir that I'm publishing in March called Sometimes the Magic Works, but it's too complicated to go into all of it here.

iVillager sab727: Considering the ending in Morgawr, will there be another book in the series?

Terry Brooks: The next set of books, which is titled High Druid of Shannara picks up 20 years later and will follow some of the same characters and resolve some issues. The two trilogies are meant to connect thematically and I think that readers will be happy with how it wraps up.

iVillager heffaji: Where are you planning on taking the Word & Void series in the future?

Terry Brooks: I'm not giving out that information yet, partly because I haven't completely decided. I don't want to pick up with the concluding events, but want to take a look at the whole setting from a completely different perspective and with entirely new characters. I'm not even sure if the time frame will be the same, but I'm looking at writing that series pretty close to the conclusion of the Shannara set, in 2005. (Sooner if I can be cloned!)

iVillager darksorcerer: What gave you the idea for the Shannara series?

Terry Brooks: First off, that was 35 years ago, so we're talking revisionist history. As best as I can remember, my plan was to write a straightforward adventure series without an historical setting. After reading Lord of the Rings when I was 22, I attempted to use the format of that book in conjunction with my idea. I was also heavily influenced by William Faulkner and wanted to write a set of books in which we followed various families in a confined setting and saw how family history impacted their descendants. The final ingredient was to use magic to advance the story and to have it function in the same way that science functions in our world. That means that sometimes it works the way we want it to and sometimes it doesn't!

iVillager iandavion: Mr. Brooks, how do you feel about people dissecting and analyzing your works, like in high school English class?

Terry Brooks: I always hated that when I was in high school! I never cared much for dissecting and analyzing writers' works. I'd prefer that readers create their own opinions rather than form a consensus, but I like the idea of my books being read in high school. Can I have it both ways?

iVillager aranahs: How did you come up with the Shannara name? Terry Brooks: Again, that was 35 years ago and I really can't remember where I came up with the name. I do remember that I made it up, unlike many of the names, places and creatures used in the series that I borrow from other sources. iVillager critteranne: I noticed that you're coming out with a book on writing in March. Is it a typical "how to write" book or is it autobiographical? Terry Brooks: It's a little bit of both. Some chapters cover lessons that I learned about becoming a writer from the events in my life, such as how I got published, how Magic Kingdom came to be written or what I learned from writing Hook and Phantom Menace. In other chapters I talk specifically about the craft itself and offer advice and thoughts about how and why it works the way it does. I guess I'm trying to straddle both lines to make it an interesting book with which people won't be bored. What's interesting about writing books is when the writer is squarely at the center of the story behind the book and it comes through in the telling. iVillager grimpond: I noticed it took a year after you wrote it for Morgawr to come out. Why did it take so long? Terry Brooks: I usually finish a book a year before publication date. There are several reasons for this. First, it gives my editor and me a reasonable opportunity for rewrites and necessary changes. Second, it gives the publisher time to work on the cover art and to set up a marketing program. Third, it gives me a cushion for the time when something goes wrong, either in my personal or professional life, and I don't get the book finished on time. That way, I would have additional time if I really needed it. This hasn't happened often, but an example of when it did was when I was called on to write The Phantom Menace. It had to be done in the middle of the regular books, but because I was ahead, I was able to write it and still meet my deadlines. iVillager pherllyt: What was your basis for Rue Meridian in the Jerle Shannara series? Terry Brooks: I like writing strong female characters and I haven't written a strong Rover female since Aretria in Elfstones. I also wanted to write about a relationship in which the female member was older and more experienced in life. I don't think that gets written about very much in fantasy. iVillager sab727: Have you based any of your characters on real people? Terry Brooks: Usually not, except for Ben Holliday in Magic Kingdom. My characters tend to be composites of people's characteristics that I have seen in the real world and, in some instances, of attributes I'd like to see more of. iVillager pamphilia: What do you see happening in the future of fantasy as a genre? Terry Brooks: I think the future of fantasy is very bright. It is obvious from sales of fantasy books that a lot of readers are interested in that kind of writing. Clearly with the interest in Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings, there's a heightened awareness of fantasy as a form of storytelling. The strongest indicator of fantasy's future comes from the fact that so many other types of storytellers are borrowing from fantasy, by taking elements, magic and types of characters. I used the word borrowed, though "stolen" might be better, because it's very rare not to find some elements of fantasy in every kind of fiction being written. This suggests that writers find some common ground in fantasy, as a means of expressing the kinds of things they want to say about the world. You could certainly carry this analogy into graphic arts in all of its various forms. I think we're going to see a lot more fantasy in the immediate future, and with any kind of luck at all, some of it will be pretty good! iVillager lazerrus: You are an author who cares about teaching new writers the art. What drives you to do this? Terry Brooks: First of all, I really enjoy talking about the craft of writing. As a writer, I'm interested in why things are the way they are. I spend a lot of time getting to know why certain things work, if they're valid or not. I like talking to new writers about what my feelings are about this and how they respond to it. So much of what I learned as a writer came from a black hole because I had no one to talk to. After I was published, I was really lucky because I had a good teacher in Lester Del Rey, who mentored me through my first 10 books and made me a better writer for taking the time to help me. Now I feel that I have an obligation to give back something similar to people who are trying to get to where I am. iVillager dmbrebel33: I was wondering if either you personally or the people you work for set forth a rating, for example PG-13, that all of your books have to follow? Terry Brooks: No. I think that as a writer, you discover early on what works for you and what doesn't. I've never written stories with some sort of artificial guide for what's allowable and what isn't. But I also know that I feel more comfortable with certain kinds of writing than with other kinds. For me, fantasy works best when it functions in a certain way. I think as a writer you pick and choose what your rules and interests are going to be and once your audience is established you don't want to disappoint them by throwing in something that's totally out of character. I don't like writing overt sex scenes and find them to be inappropriate for the kind of storytelling that I do. One thing you have to do as a writer is discover what you're comfortable with, what you can and can't write and then try not to break those boundaries. My publisher never tells me what to write or not to write and neither do my readers. Another example is that I don't feel comfortable with short fiction, so I don't write it. For me it's more work to write a short piece of fiction than it is to write a book! iVillager critteranne: How do you pick names for characters and places? Terry Brooks: I keep a list of interesting names from the places I visit, both in the U.S. and abroad. I find them in odd places, not only on storefronts and signs, but also sometimes on labels and all kinds of odd things! I add to that list on a regular basis. When it's time to do a book, I start matching up names on that list with creatures and characters. Otherwise, it's a struggle to come up with 35 names all at once! iVillager benedict547: Do you think you'll ever put another set of twins in the Shannara series? Terry Brooks: I don't remember ever writing about twins, but that's not to say that I might not give it a shot sometime! I tend to write about siblings quite frequently. iVillager lazerrus: How do you deal with writer's block? Terry Brooks: I've written a bit about that in Sometimes the Magic Works, but the short version is that I think writer's block is mostly an artificial device that the author creates. It usually means the writer needs a day off! In this case, spend time with family. Sometimes, however, it means that the writer has taken a wrong turn in the storytelling and his or her instincts are suggesting a retreat and rethinking about where the story needs to go. iVillager lazerrus: How important are the title and cover art in the sale of a new book by a new author? Terry Brooks: I think they're pretty important for all authors, not just new ones. A lot of thought needs to be given to any fantasy book title because it needs to be memorable and suggest something about the story. Once you're established as a writer, as I am, you just need to put in a catchword like Shannara and readers know what to expect. Cover art, however, is a different animal. It's not imperative that it match the writer's vision, but it's much more important that it grab the reader. Striking cover art can do a lot to draw new readers to an author's work. That's what the publisher is trying to achieve, particularly in fantasy, where colors and graphics tend to be so vivid. iVillager sab727: Who was Ben Holliday based on? Terry Brooks: Ben Holliday was based on me, except I don't box. Magic Kingdom for Sale is very autobiographical and was written in part to explore my transition from being a lawyer to being a writer. iVillager devolark: You know how to bring a story to a conclusion. Do you think authors like Robert Jordan and Terry Goodkind will have problems wrapping up their long stories? Terry Brooks: I have enough trouble worrying about wrapping up my own without worrying about theirs! The longer it goes on, the harder it is to bring a story to a reasonable conclusion. You build a reader's expectations for an incredible ending and sometimes that's hard to live up to. I'll be as interested as anyone else to see how those two series end! iVillager cubefree: How do you feel about incorporating artificial intelligence into fantasy? Do you consider it a sci-fi element? Terry Brooks: I don't have any problems with using any aspects of science fiction -- it's all in the execution. Fantasy could work just as well with robots and spaceships, but you have to be careful about ending up with a book that has everything but the kitchen sink in it. I am personally somewhat of a minimalist and don't like to put anything extraneous into a story line. But I certainly think it's possible! iVillager ivalaine: When characters of the Shannara series die, which ones cause you the most pain? Terry Brooks: I doubt if I can answer that question! I don't kill off any of them in a haphazard fashion -- there's always a reason. It's always hard to let go of good characters, though. It was hard in the beginning with killing Allanon because he was such a central figure to the first three books, but it became easier. Never be afraid to kill of any character in a book -- it shouldn't be done without a reason, but nobody should be invulnerable! iVillager pamphilia: What kind of research did you do to write the Shannara books? Did you look into druidic history? Terry Brooks: I do no specific research for any book, except Running with the Demon. My background is in studies of ancient civilizations and I do a lot of reading that pertains to the kind of stories I write. I think any good writer tries to keep reading the things that will help his writing, in order to stay informed. iVillager nealwinter: Do you have a favorite artist for your artwork? Terry Brooks: No, I think I've been blessed with a lot of good artists. All their different styles make the covers striking and give readers an idea of what the story was going to be about. iVillager chris_vs: Mr. Brooks, is there a particular point you try to get across in your books? Terry Brooks: Not just one particular point. There are several themes I like to explore. I'm interested in the exercise of responsibility and what its impacts are. I'm interested in difficult choices, which impact both the person making the decision and those about whom he or she cares. I'm interested in the way that power corrupts and using magic as a metaphor for how that can happen both for good and bad. iVillager janecj333: How do you keep the entire story in your head, so that the later scenes are consistent with earlier ones? Terry Brooks: Writing the story ahead of time helps. If I reduce it to a series of paragraphs, then I have a blueprint for where the story will go and what the threads are that I need to remember. It also helps to live with your characters in your head for a week, or even for years. That way, you don't have to think so hard about how they would react and behave and whether you're being consistent. Finally, of course, there's nothing like spending a lot of time editing. I don't see any substitute for reading and rereading to see if you're being consistent in your character development. iVillager thewanderingjew: Where did you get the idea for airships? Terry Brooks: Airships have been around for a long time in storytelling, in one form or another, and I was mostly interested in exploring the evolution of science in a world of magic, so there would be a chance to consider alternative forms of power and a couple different directions for a civilization to progress. I also wanted a way to move people around more quickly. Plus I like ships -- I'm a sucker for sailing stories! iVillager dmbrebel33: Did you base the Four Lands on our planet Earth, or is it actually your version of a fictional future of Earth? Terry Brooks: The Four Lands is meant to suggest the future of earth after a holocaust has destroyed civilization. I also didn't want to stick to existing geography, so I created the Four Lands to be something entirely unique -- it doesn't really mirror any continent in the world. I want to take readers outside their own lives and experiences and put them in a different time and place. Hopefully, this will let them take a look at familiar themes and issues in a different light and maybe rethink their feelings and their attitudes. iVillager devolark: Which series challenged you the most? Terry Brooks: Each series offers a different set of challenges. The Shannara books, by virtue of their length and storylines, are more complex. Magic Kingdom has always been built around real life issues and events. Running with the Demons was a more tightly constructed version of the Apocalypse with an eye toward what it would mean to be involved in destroying ourselves. From book to book, I come up with different sets of problems. That's what makes long fiction so challenging. iVillager wizeror: What advice would you give to a budding writer who seems to have constant writer's block? Terry Brooks: Buy my book! I think that you have to understand what writer's block is and I talked a bit about how I see it, above. There are ways of coming to grips with what a writer perceives as writer's block. Take a look at some of the books on writing in which there's a discussion about writer's block and what it's all about. iVillager sheaohmsford: How long does it take you to write a book about five hundred pages long? Terry Brooks: It takes about eight to ten months from inception to final edit. That allows maybe a month for the story development at the beginning and a month for editing and rewriting at the end. The time in between is the actual creation of the story. Of course it's probably different for other writers who have different work habits. Thank you everyone for coming out and visiting the chat room tonight and for a lot of really good questions. I'm sorry it's so hard for me to get out and see everyone on my tours, so we'll have to settle for the occasional chat and snail mail as a way to stay in touch. Thanks again! Goodnight! ------------------------------------------------------------- 1. What inspired you to set the new series in the real world? I had wanted to do a dark fantasy set in the present in our own world for some time, but I didn't have what I felt was the right vehicle. It took me almost ten years to come up with the concept for 'The Word and The Void' series. The real impetus came from my wish to do a story on the transition from being a child to being an adult, where our belief in what's real and our perceptions of the world undergo a momentous change. We hang onto something of the magic of children, but we cross over into realities that deny the truths of that magic as well. Once I determined that my fourteen-year-old protagonist would be at the epicentre of a confrontation between two paladins of light and dark and that the outcome would determine the fate of the world, I had my story. 2. How would you describe ANGEL FIRE EAST in less than 10 words? How much would you sacrifice for your best friend? 3. Did you know how the series would end before you started writing it? No. Only in a general sort of way. I knew that there would be gaps between each of the three books, and that there would be a beginning, middle and end. The series was to chronicle the relationship of Nest Freemark and John Ross in its entirety. But each book would stand alone as well. 4. Which of the 3 books did you enjoy writing most and why? RUNNING WITH THE DEMON was my favourite to write, mostly because it was the first and the most important in setting the stage for the entire series. It was a leap of faith to leave Shannara and Magic Kingdom to write something so very different. I didn't know if I could pull it off. I wanted the magic and the characters to be believable within the context of what we know and accept about the world around us. I didn't want readers to have to make allowances for what they couldn't see, but to be able to say to themselves that the fabric of the magic detailed was perfectly believable. 5. Do you think that there is magic in the real world? Don't you? 6. If one of your novels were to be made into a movie, which one would you like it to be? Are you asking me which one of my children would I be willing to sacrifice for the right price? The truth is out there somewhere. 7. What was it like to write the tie-in to THE PHANTOM MENCACE? Writing THE PHANTOM MENCACE was a joy. I had real support and co-operation from George Lucas and all the people at Lucasfilms with whom I worked. Right from the beginning, I was assured that whatever I needed, I would get. I was asked to develop new material about Anakin and to focus the book from his point of view. I was allowed to rewrite the script in whatever way I felt would best convey the story. George understands the difference between making movies and writing books. I can't speak too highly of the experience. --------------------------------------------------------------