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The King of Shannara
Fantasy author Terry Brooks on why he didn't think he would still
be writing books in his Shannara universe after all this time, on
why less is more, and why, like science in our own world, magic is
neither good nor bad.
DR: It's
been twenty-five years--and almost as many bestsellers--since you
began writing about SHANNARA and the Four Lands. How has your conception
of your fantasy world and its inhabitants TERRY BROOKS: The worlds and themes have grown much larger than I initially envisioned them, but that speaks to the nature of writing epic fantasy and series' in general.
Each one suggests a new way to go if I want to write another--and I almost always do. I didn't really think I would still be writing Shannara after all this time, but I'm grateful that it has worked out that way. DR: Speaking of your twenty-fifth anniversary, Del Rey is publishing a 25th anniversary special edition of the original Shannara trilogy, which must be quite gratifying. The initial runaway success of those books must have come as a pleasant surprise. Why do you think readers have responded so well to your work over the years? What is it that sets a Terry Brooks fantasy apart from all the others on the bookshelves? TERRY BROOKS: Is this where I am supposed to say, "Brilliant writing?" I don't know that I am the best judge of my work. I think I'm a pretty good storyteller, and that's the heart and soul of the sort of writing I do. I think it has helped me to remember that magic in and of itself should be used sparingly. Less is more, in my work. I like to keep focused on what I know to be true about people and their problems. I like my central character to always be the little guy fighting just to keep his or her head above water, trying to do the right thing. I think readers identify with this. DR: In your newest novel, THE VOYAGE OF THE JERLE SHANNARA: MORGAWR, you bring the Jerle Shannara trilogy to a close. I imagine that finishing up a long writing project like this one must be an emotional experience. Is it hard to let go of the story and characters? Do you start on something new right away, or do you give yourself a vacation from writing? TERRY BROOKS: I'm in somewhat of a different situation than normal with this series of books. Voyage of the Jerle Shannara is actually the first of two interconnected trilogies. The period between the end of the first trilogy and beginning of the second is only twenty years, and they both share some of the same themes and characters, so I'm not actually able to let go of either story or characters just yet. Not all of them, at least. I'm already about three-quarters of the way through the next book, which is the first of the new trilogy. I don't take vacations from writing; I take short breaks. DR: So then how far ahead do you plot the stories recorded in your books? Do you know, for example, what the next installment of the Shannara saga will be . . . and can you tell us anything about it? TERRY BROOKS: I tend to plot the story arc--the overview--before I start a series. But I don't worry about all the details. As much as I can envision and develop the characters, I do. I like to have a firm sense of who they are before writing. But writing each book always tells me what the next book needs to be. So I try to be open to the possibilities while writing, even though I also work from an outline. As for the next Shannara book, I can't tell you much without giving things away from MORGAWR. DR: And exactly who--or what--is the Morgawr? Is he, or was he once, human? TERRY BROOKS: The Morgawr is a warlock, but not much is known about him at the time he enters the story. There is a rumor that he was brother to the witch sisters Morag and Mallenroh, who were destroyed in Elfstones of Shannara. He was probably human once, but he has evolved into something closer to a Mwellret now. DR: The wizardly figures known as Druids play a central role in the Shannara series, from Allanon in the original trilogy to Walker Boh in the current one. Allanon had his dark side, his moments of spiritual doubt and suffering, but his successor Druids seem to be even more conflicted and tormented. Are their burdens that much greater? Or have the Druids declined in power or wisdom since the days of Allanon? TERRY BROOKS: Good question. What do you think? Here are the possibilities. One, they have declined in power, are not as strong. Two, it is a matter of personality. Walker isn't as strong as Allanon was. Third, the job has gotten tougher. You pick. I will tell you this: we are moving towards the formation of a new Druid Council, and that will change everything for the Druids and the Four Lands. DR: Then what is the source of evil in the Four Lands . . . and does it use a different magic than that of the Druids? I've often thought that Druid magic has more in common with the dark magic of such characters as the Ilse Witch and the Morgawr than it does with the magic of the Elfstones or the Sword of Shannara itself. TERRY BROOKS: Let me address the second half of your question, something I have a reasonable chance of answering in fifty thousand words or less. Magic is neither good nor bad, like science in our world. But it can be either, depending on the uses to which it is put. So, what I am saying is that magic reflects the character of the person who wields it, much of the time. You could make a reasonable argument that Druid magic often seems like dark magic, since the Druids who wield it do so with dark purpose. DR: This leads me to another question about magic in MORGAWR. How does the wishsong magic shared by Grianne and Bek Ohmsford work? Do they each have the same power? TERRY BROOKS: The wishsong doesn't work the same way for anyone, like all magic, because its nature and effectiveness depends on the character of the user. It responds initially to the strength of the bloodline, since it is derivative of the Elfstone magic. But once past that hurdle, it depends on who wields it and how conflicted or settled that person is. In that respect, it differs from science, which is more reliable and predictable. That reflects my own belief that we don't know how we will behave in stressful situations, how effective or reasonable or quick thinking we will be. DR: Let's talk more about your characters. Truls Rohk, the half-human shape-shifter who becomes Bek Ohmsford's protector and friend, is a fascinating character. He is an outcast, rejected by humans and shape-shifters. His essence partakes of both species yet belongs fully to neither. You seem to have a special affection for such characters; in fact, now that I think about it, almost all of your major characters are outcasts in some way. TERRY BROOKS: Well, I think it is how many of us see ourselves, deep down inside. We are outcasts, different than anyone else. This is truer when we are teenagers than when we get older, but that feeling is a part of who we are. We're essentially alone in our thoughts, acts, beliefs, and so forth, but always trying to find common ground with others. I enjoy watching the way characters achieve this, fighting to reach that common ground, to fit in, to become a part of something. DR: I want to take a moment to touch on your other two series...First, the Landover series. Will you be writing anything more about the magic kingdom of Landover? TERRY BROOKS: At one point, I didn't think so. I thought I might have written all I wanted to about Ben Holiday and Landover. Now I'm not so sure. My editor called the other day and said he had an idea for the series. That should please all those readers who keep asking for another book, and frankly, it pleases me, too, since I haven't been able to give them one. DR: And The Word & Void series? The Rocky Mountain News selected your two novels from this series, RUNNING WITH THE DEMON and A KNIGHT OF THE WORD, as two of the best fantasy novels of the twentieth century. They also happen to be favorites of mine. Have you given any thought to continuing the story of the battle between Word and Void? TERRY BROOKS: This series, as opposed to Magic Kingdom, has a future. I do intend to write at least another three books. I won't be able to do that until I've completed the next Shannara trilogy, which means another couple of years. Since that's a ways off, I haven't spent a lot of time thinking about where Word & Void needs to go. But I have to, before I can write anything. I have some thoughts about what should happen, but nothing set down yet. I expect to start the series somewhere other than where it left off. DR: Has the huge success of The Fellowship of the Ring movie sparked any interest from Hollywood in bringing THE SWORD OF SHANNARA to the big screen? TERRY BROOKS: There is always interest. There is never money. I live in hope. DR: The tour for your last book, ANTRAX, was curtailed as a result of the tragic events of last September. As a fantasy writer, how have the events of 9/11 and its aftermath influenced your work and your thinking about the nature of fantasy and its relationship to the real world? How has that relationship changed . . . or has it? TERRY BROOKS: I don't think I can answer this question yet. It takes time in most cases for events to suggest to fiction writers what needs to be written about them. So I am mulling it all over, because I always ask myself the same question: What does this have to say about the human condition, and how can I write about it? We'll see. DR: I hear you're working on a memoir of sorts now; what can you tell us about it? TERRY BROOKS: In March 2003 Del Rey will publish my book SOMETIMES THE MAGIC WORKS. It's subtitled Lessons from a Writing Life, and that pretty much says it all. It's a combination memoir/writing advice book. In it, I write about how I became a professional writer and the valuable lessons I learned along the way about the craft. There are stories about how I got published, how Lester del Rey taught me about publishing, and how I was chosen to write STAR WARS(R): EPISODE I: THE PHANTOM MENACE(TM). But I also write about how my grandson Hunter taught me that I really don't know as much as I thought. It's a little book, but I think readers will have a good time with it. DR: Okay, last question: the first two volumes in the Voyage of the Jerle Shannara trilogy, ILSE WITCH and ANTRAX, earned some of the best reviews of your career. In what ways are you a better writer now than when you started? What's the most important thing you've learned about the craft of writing in your career, and how did you learn it? TERRY BROOKS: I think I am a better writer now than I was twenty-five years ago, although not necessarily a better storyteller. There is a difference. Writing is a craft, and I think I am a better craftsman now than I was then. I've learned how to write professionally, and I don't struggle with the process like I once did. The most important thing I've learned about the craft is to do the best you can to prepare for the actual writing, but to understand going in that the writing will inform you in unexpected ways. Until you actually do the writing, you can't know everything that is going to happen. The following material is being reprinted from
the Del Rey Internet Newsletter. To subscribe to this free, monthly
e-newsletter, visit http://www.delreybooks.com
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OTHER CONTENT - October 2002
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The
more you write, the more you learn about what you want to write.
Each book tells me something new about the worlds and their people.
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