Welcome to the “Shur’tugal Mailbag”, the first installment in what will be a monthly series where the staff of Shur’tugal answer your questions from Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, and the comments section. We’ll also be providing updates regarding to the website in addition to glimpses into future plans and events.
We are nearly four weeks into our “revival” and the fan response couldn’t have been better: Shur’tugal is seeing its highest traffic since January of 2012 (only two months after the release of Inheritance)! We are happy to announce that we will be increasing our posts per week from four posts to seven, aiming to provide content as often as possible. We’re also actively seeking ways to keep our social media feeds fun, fresh, and engaging, and highly recommend that you “follow” us on your social media network(s) of choice.
In our first installment, we answer many questions including future interviews with Christopher, Inheritance Cycle conventions, Book 5 and Inheritance prequels, Collector Editions for future books, holidays in Alagaesia, and more!
We answer your questions:
When will we see a new interview with Christopher Paolini?
Although we have no interviews with Christopher currently in the works, it isn’t entirely out of question. If we feel as though this is something the fans would really like to see and if there are questions worthy of an interview, we would be happy to arrange one. Let us know!
How often will you be doing giveaways? Will these always be open to international fans?
While we’ve done three giveaways since the relaunch of Shur’tugal, we don’t think we’ll be able to maintain a pattern of three giveaways per month. We’re currently aiming for one giveaway per month. However, our sister site (Lytherus.com) will be giving away one “mystery book box”, containing 3-5 fantasy and science fiction books from popular authors. All fans will need to do to win the mystery box is comment on the designated posts telling the Lytherus staff which books you are currently enjoying. We’ll be sure to update our readers whenever Lytherus is giving away a new mystery book box!
When will Christopher write a prequel?
Christopher has discussed his ideas for potential prequels in the past and has stated that while he has ideas for prequels, he will likely write Book 5 first. We have a great archive of information and quotes regarding a prequel and Book 5 on our “Book 5 and Beyond page”.
Will we see Collector’s Editions for Eldest, Brisingr, and Inheritance?
Due to the cost of producing the 10th Anniversary Collector’s Edition of Eragon, it is unlikely that we will see the same published for the final three books in the series. We’ll keep you updated if any information is announced by the series’ publisher.
Is there a collection or gallery of fan art to view on Shur’tugal or elsewhere?
We are regularly releasing fan art pieces on the Shur’tugal blog and are currently working on a fan art gallery to be released on the website. Keep an eye out!
Can we have an Inheritance Cycle convention?
It’s unlikely that we would be able to gather enough fans in one location prior to the release of a new Alagaesia book. However, fan conventions (such as San Diego Comic Con, DragonCon, etc.) are great places to meet other fans. Keep an eye out for Christopher being on tour as well (no dates scheduled at this time), as his signings tend to draw hundreds of fans to discuss and read with!
How will Christopher contribute to the Paolini.net and Shur’tugal websites?
Christopher will continue to contribute to the Paolini.net website through essays published on the blog, Q&A sessions, and other features. Christopher actively supports the Inheritance Cycle community and can be found promoting Shur’tugal articles, Paolini.net articles, and other things he enjoys on his personal Twitter account (@Paolini).
Will the Inheritance Cycle ever release in large print?
It’s unlikely that we will see a large print edition of the Inheritance Cycle in the United States. However, purchasing the series as eBooks and using your eReader of choice will allow you to increase the font size to a size that suits you.
What ten books have changed your life?
This is a tough one! I’ll keep it short and sweet: the Inheritance Cycle changed my life. December will mark 11 years since I first started working on Shur’tugal. Since then, I’ve had countless opportunities, from running a website with millions of visitors and traveling the world for conventions, movie premieres, and book launches, to working with the Paolini family on their official website and launching my own fantasy and science fiction media outlet. I was even given the chance to write and publish my own book, The Inheritance Almanac! Really, everything I have accomplished and experienced in life can be traced back to the day I started Shur’tugal. The Inheritance Cycle has definitely changed my life. I know that’s only four books – sorry! (- Mike Macauley)
We also want to provide everyone with an update on several exciting projects in the work for Shur’tugal as well as some of our future goals.
Shur’tugal Fan Fiction
We are hard at work on our fan fiction section and expect to be launching by no later than mid-October. The fan fiction section will allow writers to share their stories and readers to enjoy, rate, and review them. We are aiming to turn the new Shur’tugal Fan Fiction section into a thriving and active community by featuring stories, offering writing prompts and competitions, and more. We’ll keep you updated as we near the fan fiction section’s launch!
Holidays (Halloween, Christmas, and more…)
We don’t want to say too much, as we want to keep as much of our holiday content a surprise as possible… but we’re willing to share a few details! We’ll be running holiday series focusing on all of the big holidays. These events will include content, contests, giveaways, and unique stories set within the world of Alagaesia… We’ll also be asking for fans to contribute to and shape our content in new and exciting ways. You can expect Halloween and Christmas events, but you can also expect a new holiday before Halloween hits: Brewfest! Stay tuned for more information.
Mike Macauley’s involvement with Paolini.net
The Paolini family recently launched their official website, home to their exclusive content, news, and more. Mike has been working closely with the Paolini family and their wonderful assistant Manu to develop the website and its content. He will continue to work with the Paolini family on Paolini.net as the website’s co-manager and a regular contributor to the blog.
As always, your feedback is invaluable and is key to the course Shur’tugal takes in the future. Please take a moment to vote in our poll telling us which piece of content you’ve enjoyed most so far. If you have any additional feedback, requests, or ideas, please leave them in the comments on this article!
