Catch up on Christopher’s answers from his recent Reddit “Ask Me Anything,” part one!
In the first of our three-part Reddit AMA recap, Christopher discusses the status of an Eragon movie reboot, plus a very different ending for Eragon/Arya), the gender of his upcoming scifi novel’s main character, many Book V hints, fun Thorn facts, and much more! Plus, a surprise appearance from Mistborn author Brandon Sanderson!
Earlier this week, Christopher took to the popular internet community Reddit to host an AMA, or “Ask Me Anything,” allowing readers of the r/Fantasy sub-Reddit to submit questions for the author to answer! The original AMA thread is still available, but we’ve compiled a three part list of questions and answers for easy browsing! (Parts two and three of our recap are now available!)
Brandon Sanderson (u/mistborn) asked: “As a writer, one of my big concerns recently is repeating myself. I find similar themes (and character types) to what I’ve worked on before wiggling into my work, and it seems like every day I have to expunge a new one and force myself to look in a new direction.
Has this ever been a worry to you? How do you deal with it, and what (if anything) are you doing with your new book to take it in a different direction from previous works?”
u/McWhiskey asked: “1. Knowing what you know now, is there anything you would have changed or done differently in the Inheritance Cycle? 2.With the popularity of Game of Thrones, and a slew of other Fantasy stories hitting the big and small screen, is there any chance of the Inheritance Cycle being revived for either film or T.V?”
u/StarPupil asked: “Was it difficult to balance the writing of the third and fourth book while going to college and having a social life?
Why was it decided to split the third book into a forth, when it seemed like they both had a lot of filler in them.
Why didn’t you round out the relationship between Murtagh and Nasuada? It felt like it ended so flat and incomplete.
What are some cool things you have been working on since the release of Inheritance? The last I saw of you, you were posing for the Worldbuilders calendar.”
u/redspyro99 asked: “If you go to a place, leave and then scry it after the place has changed drastically, would you see it in the past, present, or as a blank space? Also, how big is Alagaesia compared to our continents?”
u/Flame_half asked: “My favorite character in your books is Oromis. He is very wise and kind, while also being stern. I’ve always wondered who, or what, was your inspiration while writing his character?”
u/allyourlives asked: “Any plans for more novels in the same universe as the Inheritance cycle?”
u/TerraInc0gnita asked: “Will we learn more about bright steel in the new sci-fi novel? Seeing as bright steel comes from space, and the next book is sci-fi. Will the new book take place in the same universe as Inheritance? Origin of bright steel perhaps?”
u/galunid asked: “1. Can the name of Alagaesia change? That way Eragon could be able to return to this land. 2. Will Nasuada ever accept Eragon’s offer, to visit him? 3. What were you thinking while watching Eragon movie? 4. Can we know how long before publishing fantasy novels?”
u/Nobodies_Shadow asked: “1. Why are you secretive with the titles for your next book? 2. Could you give some hints as to what your sci-fi book is about? 3. What books did you use or read to inspire yourself for this upcoming sci-fi book? 4. Was it hard coming up with a way to defeat Galbatorix since he was very powerful antagonist?”
u/Cellar____door asked: “What did the Menoa Tree take from Eragon??”
u/ThornBigRedDragon asked: “I love Thorn sooo much. Can you tell me some new facts about him? What was his first word?”
u/sacrifair asked: “Why Eragon wanted to know how to summon spirits (Brisingr, Hands of a Warrior)? It seems out of character since he was earlier disgusted by the thought of controlling them (Brisingr, Shadows of the Past).”
u/darklingsshadow asked: “What inspired you to create Tenga? I was re-reading the series, and he seems really similar to a slightly nuttier Tesla.”
u/ElvenEbrithil asked: “1. How did you come up with the idea of the Urgals and Kull? 2. How much more energy can an elf contain than a human? 3. How many of the Forsworn were female? 4. What was your favorite scene to write about?”
u/Average_Gav asked: “How did you feel about the movie adaptation for “Eragon”?”
u/Kitbixby asked: “How close are we to seeing a remake of the movie or a new video game?”
u/jdubw18 asked: “I haven’t read any sci-fi before so what books would you recommend I read while I wait for your book to be released? Or could I wait and let your book be my introduction to the genre, as I did with Eragon and fantasy?”
u/IrateGinger asked: “What fantasy book or series has your favorite depiction of Dragons, not including your own Inheritance Cycle?”
u/Vocado7 asked: “Do you like playing computer games? If yes, what are your favorite ones? Is there a chance that you share my passion for titles like Mass Effect, Dragon Age, The Witcher?”
u/AkashicRecorder asked: “If you had to choose a historical setting for the next Assassin’s Creed, which would you choose?”
u/Souleter asked: “Which fantasy novels inspired your first series?”
u/midobal asked: “If you could live on any fictional world of your choice, which one would you choose and what would you be (e.g., a hobbit from Middle Earth, a singer from Westeros…)?”
Christopher answered: Good question. The problem with so many fictional worlds is that they tend to be racked by some huge and epic war. That said, I’d love to visit (not live, visit) the universe of Dune. And I wouldn’t mind living among the dwarves from my books. Unlike the elves, they actually know how to have a good time.
u/MikeOfThePalace asked: “You’re trapped on a deserted island with three books. Knowing that you will be reading them over and over and over again, what three do you bring?”
u/p0x0rz asked: “What was the biggest challenge of writing a book so young? Looking back, is there anything you would do differently?”
u/lyrrael asked: “What do you feel is the most exhilarating part of writing? Most rewarding? And most frustrating?”
u/accaris asked: “If you were given the opportunity to go back and re-write your first book, would you do it? Or are you happy with how it turned out, nearly 15 years later?”
u/scotzorz56 asked: “Do you feel like you found your feet at Eldest? And did you try to make the story and character more complex by that book?”
u/DarthPoulsen asked: “What’s the best way you’ve found to respond to negative reviews of your books? Also, what’s the meanest/funniest thing someone has ever said about your books?”
u/LaoBa asked: “What writing advice do you have for other young authors?”
Christopher answered: 1. Keep reading! The more you read, the more you can bring to the table as a writer.
2. Learn everything you can about the language you’re writing in. Language is the tool of the trade, after all.
3. Plot your story out beforehand. Think of it like music: first you compose the piece, and then you can concentrate on performing it as beautifully as possible.
4. Find someone to edit your work. Family, friend, author, librarian, etc. Editing can be really hard to stomach, but I guarantee she’ll learn more from editing than she will from the writing itself. (That said, only listen to the opinions of people you trust.)
5. Write about the things you care about the most! Getting through a book takes a lot of time and energy, so spend them wisely.
6. Don’t give up. Persistence more than anything is what differentiates professionals from amateurs.