WIRED Book Club just wrapped up their readthrough of The Name of the Wind and to cap off their introduction into The Kingkiller Chronicles, they have interviewed author Patrick Rothfuss about his writing process, magic systems, and why he considers his first draft such a “hot mess.”
Perhaps the most inspiring bit for writers is Rothfuss’ admission that it took 15 years to shape his first novel from an initial draft into the addictive magical romp we love. A lot of personal growth and work went into crafting The Name of the Wind.
When discussing the first draft of The Name of the Wind, Rothfuss explained to WIRED that “Science has no scale to measure the hotness of that mess.” His ideal going into the book was to create “something a little new and a little different. But at the same time, I wanted it to be familiar and warm and exciting in nostalgic ways.” This was already a challenging balance to strike, and as he finished the first draft he realized that striving for that balance produced a story that seemed disconnected from itself.
I had no idea what I was doing in terms of structuring a story. I put words together fine. I could write dialog and scene. I could even make an interesting chapter. But a book is so much more than a series of interesting chapters. And that’s what it took me a fucking decade to figure out.
These early struggles of learning to inject more tension into the book “made [Rothfuss’] life a hell for 15 years.” As he worked he also had to learn to write beyond his own experience. WIRED asked him about writing the character of Denna in particular:
The truth is, Denna has always been the hardest character to bring into this book. Part of that is because I started writing it in ’94 when I was, like, a 20-year-old straight white boy. To say that I didn’t understand women is a vast understatement—and also implies that I understand what it’s like to exist as a woman now, which is also not the case. The other part is that, narratively, she’s the one thing that Kvothe can’t opine on in an objective way. It’s so hard. I’ve made mistakes all over, but if I have a genuine failure in this book, it’s my lack of ability to do with Denna as much as I wish I could have.
Rothfuss also notes that The Name of the Wind underwent such a radical reworking over the course of those 15 years that main story threads vital to the novel, such as Auri, Devi, and the mystery of the school archives, were barely present in the initial draft. “There was no Devi in the early books. There was so much that wasn’t in those initial drafts, simply because I had no idea what I was doing in terms of structuring a story.”
Experienced fantasy readers may be surprised to learn that while the story constantly shifted and morphed, the sympathetic magic system in Rothfuss’ Kingkiller Chronicles has remained stable thanks to its scientific underpinnings:
It’s hard to get more scientific [than sympathy]. I literally have the math for a lot of these things. I have run the numbers about how much heat it takes for this and that, and accounting for slippage, or whatever. I can look at my chalkboard here and see all of the delta calculations for how much energy it takes to boil gold. So I do the math…Once I explain that framework to you, if my characters are clever using the framework, then you can appreciate their cleverness at a different depth, and it’s very satisfying. You cannot get that same satisfaction in a world that does not have a cohesive, understandable, and explicit system.
The secondary magic system in the series, Naming, is a bit more… hand wavy, but Rothfuss has put just as much consideration into it as he has for sympathy:
Well, for one, it’s super hard to actually do the math and have a cohesive system that actually bears up under the scrutiny of intelligent readers. Two, you miss one of the other things that magic has to offer in a story, and that is a sense of delight and wonder. Sympathy is many things, but it’s usually not wondrous. You never get true shock and amazement. So I wanted both. I wanted my cake and to eat it, too. On the other end of the spectrum is magic the art of which cannot be explained.
Finally, WIRED asked my favorite question: who makes it into the coveted Author’s Favorite Character spot?
Auri will always be very close to my heart. Elodin is also a treat. But it does change, and sometimes a character I really start out liking gets on my nerves—because it’s hard to keep writing them, and then they piss me off and I end up liking them less. In some ways, it’s harder to like Kvothe, both as a writer and, I suspect, as a reader. It’s way easier to be infatuated with somebody than to be in a long-term relationship with them.
In addition to specific answers about his books, Rothfuss also had a more free-ranging discussion of how his life as a writer differs from the mythology of what it is to be a writer. He emphasizes the hard work it takes, and talks about bad habits and laziness that people can fall into as they’re starting out. It’s especially interesting to hear his take on slowly drafting an epic story. Rather than dwelling on his initial inspiration, or talking about writing workshops, Rothfuss gives the sense that he simply wrote and wrote and re-wrote, painstakingly learning his craft with each new draft.
Because Rothfuss was willing to take the time to dig in and retool these drafts, he was able to create a great work of fantasy. You can (and should) read the whole interview over at WIRED – there’s a treasure trove of fun facts for Rothfuss fans, and some great advice for writers.
And it is such a shame that people don’t consider the amount of work that Pat puts into his books when they complain about his speed. As it says in The Forbidden Kingdom, “must taste bitter before taste sweet.
Cool. So about 10 more years to get Doors of Stone then?
I fully support Pat taking whatever time he needs to write the book he wants to write.
I fully support Pat taking on other endeavors and enjoying some daily down time.
If he were to post a yearly status update on Book 3, I think his impatient fans would ease up a bit.. All anyone knows is that he may have started writing it and he’s probably not done yet.
If writing is that hard, you’re doing it wrong.
I wrote ‘The Court of the Air’ in 12 months and had so much fun doing it, it felt like only a couple of weeks had passed.
Mr. Hunt, I am happy for you. But you lead me to believe you don’t know very much about writing based on that comment, your own experience notwithstanding. You would dismiss the work of many great writers (Gustave Flaubert occurs to me, off-hand) on the basis of how much care and time they take over their craft. I can’t draw comparison between Mr Flaubert and Mr Rothfuss (I haven’t read Mr Rothfuss), but devotion to just the right word or phrase, devotion to producing art, is not “doing it wrong”. Speed is good, adequate, for receiving a paycheque but perhaps not the legacy or influence an author may want to strive for. Exceptions, again (Dickens).
@5 while @4’s response was rather flippant, yours is really no better.
Some authors are fast AND good. In the same way that some painters naturally excel at facets like composition, color palette, technique, I’m sure there are many writers who excel at prose, world building, plotting, etc, without having to devote a lot of time or headspace to it. Also, time invested does not implicitly mean good art.
I’d prefer an author who is fast and brilliant, but brilliant alone works too. Which Rothfuss is. And I may complain about the wait, but that doesn’t mean I don’t appreciate his work, or his effort. I think we’d all be better off (authors included) if you just take the complaints as compliments–people want to read your work so bad they just can’t wait!
I think we agree that speed is not a pre-determinant of quality (it was the “doing it right” comment that rubbed me wrong, I make no assumption that Mr. Hunt wrote something poor). There are the fast-and-good authors like the Dickens exception I already cited, at least in his early years. And there’s our current champion example in genre, Brandon Sanderson, who sets an almost inhuman pace at producing quality prose. While at the same time there’s GRRM, whose work is just as good while producing it at the other end of the speed scale.
The thing is, with Rothfuss and Martin, they are not serious writers. I’m aware of the things they get up to from reading their blogs. I would estimate that either one only spends 50% or less of their time actually writing. Rothfuss said recently that he didn’t write a word for 6 months when he met his girlfriend. They are very busy with the fandom they created but not with actual writing.
Plus I think Rothfuss is scared. There was a longer than expected wait for Wise Man’s Fear and it received mediocre reviews. What was the extra time for? It certainly didn’t improve the quality.
@7. cecrow
I thoroughly enjoy Sanderson’s books and will be buying each of the Stormlight Archive in hardback. That said, Rothfuss’s writing is in a different class from Sanderson’s. Sanderson excels at ideas, and his books are awesome, but go to Goodreads and compare the favorite quotes from his books with quotes from Rothfuss’s and you’ll see what I mean.
It’s true that the fastest output requires the greatest dedication and time commitment. It’s also true that slower writers are not necessarily putting in the same daily hours. Maybe the words don’t some to them so easily, they don’t have the same confidence, never developed the focus, etc. I would never assume laziness. Maybe they are perfectionists who can’t rush the process without a lot of thought in between sessions. That creates downtime that needs to be filled. Writing for other projects is a great way to do that, keeping the writing muscle sharp. Or raising enormous amounts for charity. And sometimes life events will happen, whether it’s romance or health (e.g. Scott Lynch), that can interrupt even the most productive writer’s habits.
Re. Rothfuss, we’ll never know whether it improved the quality or not without reading his original draft. Rewrites are often based on editorial feedback, and we might trust the editor’s opinion that it needed more work. It could have been worse, maybe much worse.
@@@@@4. Stephen Hunt
Bob Ross could bust out a very nice painting in a half an hour and have a great time doing it, but I wouldn’t call it fine art.
Sanderson is a writer that actually takes his craft seriously. He tells you exactly what he’s working on and how often he writes. When he needs a break from his current book, he cranks out a novella. It might not be the best writing in the world, but it is highly entertaining.
And with that flippant and disrespectful comment, my copy of “The Court of the Air” goes to the bottom of my towering TBR pile.
@@.-@, Stephen Hunt, as a writer yourself, I’m very surprised to hear that you think Rothfuss is “doing it wrong” by not cranking out books. What works for one doesn’t mean it works for everyone. People are allowed to work however they please on their own projects.
@8, Austin, I really do my best to not feed trolls, but come on…”I estimate they only work on writing 50% or less of their time” which you conclude makes them “not serious writers.” Really? Why are they not allowed to enjoy their children’s childhoods (Rothfuss) or work on other projects/tv shows, cons, etc (Martin). Calling either of them “not serious writers” is utterly ridiculous. I’d call crafting some of the most beloved characters and worlds in fantasy, as serious writers.
@8 Austin
That is kind of a funny statement. 50% of his time? Does this mean 12 hours a day? That would seem like a lot actually… or do you mean 50% of the time he is awake? So about 8 hours a day? That would still be 56 hours per week only spend on “actually writing”… which would still be an insane work load given that “actually writing” cannot be the only work he does. If you look at this reasonably, you can consider that most people work between 40 and 50 hours per week. And even if an author “only” manages to spent 50% of this time “actually writing” on average over a year, I would not find this terribly suprising, given how they seem to be expected to travel to conventions and bookstores to do promotion and how they actually run a one (or more) person business. Personally I dont think the time Patrick Rothfuss is taking to finnish his next book has anything to do with lack of effort. He seems to have a very complicated and obsessive approach to writing an insanse number of drafts until he is satisfied with a book and he seems to be astonishingly insecure about this. The last point is probably also the reason why he does not do as Werechull suggests @3. I wish he did though.
As to the post @4… I will give Stephen Hunt the benefit of the doubt and assume that some incredibly clever person posted that nonsense under a false name.
A lot ppl are annoyed by Stephen Hunt comment and at the same I think completly missing point.
Important bit of comment was:
“If writing is that hard, you’re doing it wrong.”
Its not about speed, quality, quantity, its about mastery of your craft – knowing what you are doing and having fun while doing it.
Rly Patrick Rothfuss basically admitted it himself that when he started he didnt do it right at start and it took him 15 years of learning and evolution of his writing to produce something he was happy to release.
One more thing, people mention Sanderson as very fast writer, but according to Sanderson he isnt rly that fast, he is consistent, he tries to write 2-2,5k words every day and he loves what he is doing, while still having time to enjoy family, life, family etc.
BTW 2,5k words isnt that many, this post have about 150 words.
BTW 2 please dont take my post as criticism of Patrick Rothfuss, I enjoy his books, I accept that he will release next one when he is ready, I just think that Stephen Hunt is at last partially right, especially when Patrick Rothfuss himself is talking about evolution of his writing skill.
So, here are my two cents…
I read a lot, and fantasy is my favorite genre ever. There has been very few books that I’m willing to actually purchase ( I’m a big public library fan), and take space in my home, even fewer I’d like to re-read over and over. Pat’s books are in both categories – they’re on my shelves and are getting a regular “exercise”. I find his characters complex and very’ very interesting, his “world” and mix of known or regular and of myth to be superb, and the story is just magic in itself. I could not put it down – even on the 3rd pass. It’s the talent that matters, not the speed, and no, I’m not a patient person. But in this case, I’ll bite my lips and keep them shut, because no matter how long it takes, it will be extraordinary – exactly like the previous books.
@15, sorry I should have specified. When I say they only spend 50% or less of their time writing, I’m going by the standard 8 hour American workday. So I’m saying they probably spend 4 hours or less doing any type of writing (judging by their blogs/Facebook/Twitter/ etc.). I agree that he is very insecure about his work.
@14, Why do people always bring up the whole “enjoy their kids” angle? What, normal working people are being bad parents because they spend 8 hours a day (or more) working? What does taking time to write have anything to do with enjoying his kids?
@18 Your comparisons aren’t really of any use here. While an average working day might be 8 hours, that usually applies to people who work for someone else. Buying one of Rothfuss’ books does not, in any way, give you the right to demand anything of him as an author or of the book itself. Reading his works is a privilege, not something you are entitled to. It is fully within your right to be anxious and/or impatient, but it does not give you the right to make demands. Even if Rothfuss decided to scrap the next book and take up professional sock-knitting instead, that still doesn’t give you any right to make demands or claims on his next book or on how diligently he works, no matter how disappointed you feel.
@20, sure it does. He’s only written 2/3 of a story and is withholding the finished product from his paying customers. He’s entered into a social contract with me and everyone else who buys his books that says he will deliver the complete story in a reasonable amount of time. You don’t go out and write a trilogy and take 20 years to deliver all 3 books. It’s not like he wrote one book and then decided to make a sequel. It’s been a trilogy from the very beginning. One, in fact, that supposedly was already written before the first book was published. He just had to do some “editing” between each release. Well, success has evidently really scared him, so now he’s frightened to put out the last book. He’s probably agonizing over whether to use who or whom in the 3rd sentence on page 324. He’ll decide on that in a month or so.
@18 That’s still a heck of an assumption to make. How closely do you follow what Rothfuss does? Do you consider that writing isn’t the only task that a writer does as a job? Rothfuss is a revision hound. He does multiple complete drafts of his stories. He also has at least 3 other books that you aren’t considering when discussing his output. On top of this, he has chosen to donate time and resources to a fully self-run charity organization that he is deeply involved in, built largely around the fact that he now has a recognizable name. Sanderson outputs a lot of words in a relatively short time because he doesn’t really do much else. He also doesn’t do much of a revision process, and it shows. He has written some of my favorite books, but in comparison to Rothfuss’s prose, it doesn’t stand up. He often uses clumsy dialogue, poor word choice, and blunt force storytelling in his novels. Where he excels is in the creation of settings and in the politics of the world. Rothfuss excels at creating a meaty read. His books require you to slow down, digest the prose, and often re-read to fully understand all the layers that he puts into the characters and stories. Suggesting that he should be pumping out a new one every year is both disrespectful and ignorant. To summarize, saying that someone is not a “serious” writer simply because they don’t spend 100% of their waking lives pumping out words is flat out ridiculous. To insult someone who writes the way Rothfus does while essentially praising people who simply pump out pulpy fiction, like a Stephanie Meyer or any romance writer, does a disservice to the entire art form.
Hi, all–just a quick reminder to please keep the conversation civil and treat everyone with respect. You can read our Moderation Policy in full here.
@22, Yes I used to follow Rothfuss closely. I read his blogs and followed him on Twitter and Facebook. I quit all that a while back after it became clear he’s not the least bit interested in finishing his trilogy. As you said, he devotes a massive amount of time with that charity, among other projects. He hardly ever mentions Doors of Stone and when he does, it’s to go after people getting on to him. He never updates his loyal followers on the progress of the book, if there has been any. Now he’s involved with Hollywood and the possibility of adapting his books for a series. Why he would do that, when he won’t finish it, is beyond me.
I’m not asking him to pump out books every year. I think 3 years is more than reasonable to release a book, barring any major life changes. People seem to think he’s writing the next great American novel. It’s art, I’m told. You can rush art. IT’S A FANTASY BOOK! This trilogy will have no lasting impact on literature. He’s not an artist. He’s a fantasy book writer who doesn’t actually write much of anything. And I’m just done with him. I won’t be supporting his bad habits with my money any longer.
@24 Right, it won’t have any lasting impact. Nobody remembers Jules Verne, J.R.R. Tolkien, Homer, Shakespeare, Melville, Herbert, Asimov, or any other writer. He has, definitively, written more, and better, than either you or I ever will. His books have already made more of an impact on people than anything you or I have ever done. Arguing that a book is less art because it’s fantasy is like arguing a painting is less art because it’s realist, or that a song is less art because it’s Rock & Roll. Among other things, you clearly have no right or capability to judge what is or isn’t art. Neither do I, which is why I tend to go by the accepted definition: “the various branches of creative activity, such as painting, music, literature, and dance.” Gee, that’s weird. I wonder what the definition of literature is? Oh, here it is: “written works, especially those considered of superior or lasting artistic merit.” Now, let’s see. Are Rothfuss’s books considered of “superior or lasting artistic merit”?
http://www.tor.com/2011/03/07/best-sff-novels-of-the-decade-an-appreciation-of-the-name-of-the-wind/
http://www.avclub.com/review/patrick-rothfuss-ithe-name-of-the-windi-3527
http://dearauthor.com/book-reviews/overall-a-reviews/a-minus-reviews/review-the-name-of-the-wind-the-kingkiller-chronicle-day-one-by-patrick-rothfuss/
I mean, I could go on but I’ve never been a fan of beating dead horses. You can be as frustrated with Rothfuss as you want. The rest of us don’t really care. He doesn’t owe you or any of us anything. Whether you admit it or not, whenever the final book comes out you will read it. You may borrow it, or get it from the library, but you’ll read it. The fact that you love the series is apparent in every frustrated post you make. The waiting is what you hate, but waiting is pretty easy if you don’t want the thing everyone is waiting for. Just a tip: don’t vent your frustration on the person who made a series you fell in love with. Vent your frustration on society for ingraining an impatience into you that makes waiting so laborious.
People who say that “complainers” don’t speak for the rest of us, don’t speak for me.
I like hearing from people who are frustrated. I am too. I think someone can honestly question what’s going on with Rothfuss or Martin without being a jerk about it. The topic isn’t verboten. It isn’t rude to wonder why it’s taking so long. It’s a message board for goodness sake; people can share opinions with one another. It’s not about being entitled, it’s about sharing an opinion.
Something’s up. It was supposedly finished in 2007. Rothfuss told Sanderson that he thought book three would be released in 2-3 years after book two (i.e., 2013-14). Something’s up.
I would also say that the question of whether Rothfuss’ work will ultimately be considered art depends on whether he sticks the landing. I think the first two books certainly point in that direction (i.e., that it will be a lasting work of art). As a matter of fact, as any close reader of the books knows–heck, just read the Tor recaps here–his book is much deeper and moving than the average fantasy book. In the end, I expect we’re going to have a wonderful tragedy on our hands that says profound things about human nature. In particular, it will address all of our tendencies to believe that we see the world the way it really is, without challenging our own assumptions. I think it will be great. But if, like Martin, Rothfuss let’s HBO (or whoever) tell the story for him, well, it probably won’t endure. I don’t think that will happen though.
This was a really interesting read, thanks – I used to love writing as a kid (I still like it occasionally although the urge comes and goes) so I like reading about how people write and think about their characters.
As for the wait and comparisons; yes, I want the next book. Yes, I am a little irritated. But there’s lots of other good stuff out there to read in the meantime. Who is to say that taking so long is not ‘doing it right?’. Tolkien took YEARS to finish his trilogy, and never even finished the Silmarillion because he wrote and rewrote and rewrote and rewrote so many drafts and kept going back and fixing things around – he is truly my favorite author (and don’t you dare tell me it’s not art with a lasting impact) but I do almost wonder if he was somewhat obsessively neurotic :)
One thing I’ve noticed about Rothfuss’s work is that every single word seems to have meaning and is chosen for a reason. And I think maybe he is attempting something like Tolkien in that he is telling a story with some profound meaning. We’ll see if he succeeds.
And I love Brandon Sanderson (I agree that his prose isn’t quite as elegant, but his stories, worldbuilding and characters are all very interesting) but I think one of the reasons he pumps stuff out so fast is that, at least according to a convention I went to, he’s been working on various ideas since he was 15 or so, so once he finally got published, he had a bunch of already started series ready to be edited and to submit. So, he has a bit of a headstart. Plus, he does seem to be a very regimented and organized person. I think some writers are full of ideas and stories that they have to get out, and people like Sanderson can jump between them (hence him taking breaks to write novellas or side stories in other series)…whereas perhaps others have one big story and spend their whole lives perfecting it (such as Tolkien). Maybe Rothfuss will be the latter, although I certainly hope we don’t have to get something posthumously!
To criticize an author for taking time out of their life to run a charity that literally feeds villages… Man, that’s cold.
As far as how long it’s taking to finish, what if he found a major flaw that isn’t sitting right and he’s trying to get it right? If he tossed his hands up and it was published as is, you’d be here grumping that he didn’t stick the landing.
And just because Sanderson’s name is tossed up a lot in the comment… Yes. He’s a freaking workhorse. He teaches at BYU, runs Writing Excuses, AND writes. I’m probably forgetting 10 projects that I’ve heard he’s involved in. I love his books. But to assume one author should have the same output as another is like sitting down and telling a newbie writer, “Hey. Don’t do that outlining. I’m a panster. This bestseller over here is a panster. If you’re not panting, you’re CLEARLY not devoted to your craft.”
I mean come on. Not everyone has the same family dynamics or physical/mental health to write like someone else. There are a million reasons why it is perfectly justified that Rothfuss and Martin are slower, and the first reason is this:
http://scifisongs.blogspot.com/2009/08/sci-fi-song-20-george-rr-martin-is-not.html?m=1
While I’m not personally a huge fan of the series, I appreciate Rothfuss’s dedication to getting the flesh of his text the way he wants – he’s easily one of the better (and if I read more I might venture best, but that’d be presumptive of me) fantasy authors when it comes to the sheer craft of his prose.
(I do wish said flesh was stretched over bones and muscles of a story I liked more, but if every pork chop was perfect we wouldn’t have hot dogs.*)
*(Ignoring that hot dogs are, biochemically speaking, horrifying to consider.)
In that way I’d argue it’s almost ridiculous to compare him to Sanderson, unless you’re going for a demonstration of the sheer contrast authors can have while working in the same genre. They play to very different strengths as writers regardless of output.
Invariably when discussing the subject of “when’s the book going to be done?” or “what do you think is happening?” someone will link or reference the holy gospel of Neil Gaiman as if that were the authoritative end of discussion. Yes, Neil Gaiman shares the same opinion as many, that an author who sold a book to you with one of three on the title has no obligations to the public thereafter. So what? Neil Gaiman thinks one way, and many think another. I think when you induce me to buy one of three that it’s reasonable to expect that two of three and three of three are coming and that at some point it’s reasonable to ask “are they coming? I wonder what’s taking so long?” HERESY! HERETIC! BURN THE WITCH!
Interestingly, the Neil Gaiman thing is a straw man argument, because no one who thinks that maybe something is wrong, or that maybe it’s taking too long, thinks that any author owes them total dedication, or that Rothfuss or Martin or anyone, is their slave. Heck, I don’t think every author has to write at Sanderson’s pace. Or Steven King’s pace. Or Abercrombie’s pace. Or any number of other authors who consistently produce.
I wonder when the book will be done. I wonder why book three, which was supposedly completed in the main in 2007, is still nowhere in sight almost ten years after the first book’s publication. I wonder if something is wrong. Sure, Martin and Rothfuss and whoever don’t owe me anything legally. They did put one of on the covers of the books they sold me and I think it’s reasonable to wonder when they will finish the rest of the story. I genuinely wonder why asking for a simple update is so extremely rude.
Hey, you bought my books and have supported my causes . . . What?! you want to know how’s it going, you creep! How dare you! UNLEASH THE SURROGATES!! “He’s not your b*#ch, he’s not your b*#ch.” Yes, yes, I know.
A couple of lines about progress once a year on the author’s website isn’t too much to ask, in my opinion.
@28 Lisamarie, that’s the worry. Tolkien toiled and toiled and toiled on his work and then he DIED. What was all that for? I used to be a big Wheel of Time fan and was a part of a WOT message board back in the day. People were complaining about Robert Jordan “milking” his series by stretching out the plot with hundreds of side characters. And then he wrote Crossroads of Twilight, which was almost a slap in the face of the fandom, as he wrote a book that didn’t advance the plot. People were up in arms. Pitchforks and torches were readied.
And then Robert Jordan got sick and realized he needed to finish the series, promising that the next book would be the last, even if it had to be carried in a wheelbarrow. But that shouldn’t have been necessary. Whether he just enjoyed playing in the world he created or he really just wanted to milk every dollar, he dragged the series out way too long. The series was greatly diminished by it. And, sadly, he never got to finish it.
Pat is not a greybeard just yet, so there’s probably not a health worry there. Still, if he is as neurotic as he seems, it’s not unforeseeable that he would toil and toil the decades away like Tolkien did. And that would be a shame.
Word processing has made writing much easier or much harder; depending on how much the author cares about the end product. Imagine how hard edits and rewrites must have been for guys like Hemingway. At some point they must have said, “Eh, that’s good enough”.
The likes of Rothfuss, or the late Pat Conroy, who expect perfection, obsess to the extreme.
Anyone else think it would be funny if a group of authors got together on the sly and wrote “Book 3” by another name and other characters, but we all know it is book 3. I mean that is the ultimate troll if you ask me. I mean didn’t martin have to make an HBO tv series to speed his story along?
@32 – Oh, I remember those WoT days myself (although I actually kind of liked Crossroads of Twilight anyway…).
I guess for Tolkien though, I hate to say that it’s not ‘for’ something, as I have really appreciated reading through all his notes, and what not – but I agree it’s a shame he never got the cohesive story he wanted. (And that goes for Jordan as well). But I doubt it’s out of any malice or spite, just a world that got too big. Better that than too little, I guess :)
@@.-@ Steven Hunt – that is a really unfair thing to say. As a writer, musician and songwriter myself, I have plenty of ideas that literally fall onto the page or into my guitar, and still others that I have agonized over years. Sometimes I have a piece of music that sits lyric-less for months before something finally pops into my head. Each artist has their own way of creating their art, and just because you wrote a book in 12 months doesn’t make you the gold standard for every other creative person in the world. Ease up a bit, dude.
I loved the first two books and the Novella but it’s been such a long time since book two that a lot of people have moved on to newer pastures .
Such a shame.
I am longing for book 3 as much as anyone but I feel like I am a totally living in the golden age of kkc discussion….i dont think all the brilliant literary analysis that has come out of chat threads would be there if we weren’t waiting, and I for one would have realized how multilayered kkc is. I have had so many hours of enjoyment just from the threads. So I am appreciating that. Just hoping I am still on top of the grass when book 3 comes out.
Stephen Hunt – Maybe that is why Patrick’s storytelling, character building and beauty with words far surpasses your own.